


Make My Day

by boyyprince



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Found Family, Gabe becomes dad and grandpa all at once, He is a bleeding hearted man, If any mentions of abuse make you uncomfortable or may trigger you this may not be the fic for you, M/M, That was a mouthful, Very loosely implied abuse of all forms, and cannot resist taking in stray teen dad abuse victim jesse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-08-22 13:24:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 40,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8287330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boyyprince/pseuds/boyyprince
Summary: “It's unlike you not to call when you are running late. Is everything alright?” Amélie asked, though her tone was still slightly amused. Gabriel leaned against the exterior of the diner and sighed deeply. “I came across this kid...He seriously looks like he's been through the ringer-”“Ah, my poor sweet bleeding heart,” Amélie interrupted. Gabriel could almost feel her batting her eyelashes. “You know you can not save everyone. Sometimes it is best to get on with your life and forget you ever saw such a sad sight.” “I couldn't ignore it this time Amélie,” Gabriel said, looking back through the window at the two. “He's just a kid and he's got a baby with him. Just the two of them. He's all fidgety and scared- I don't know. I'm assuming the worst.” Gabriel felt every second of Amélie's silence draw the breath from his lungs. “This is not a matter for you to take into your own hands Gabriel.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay a slight explanation for this: I saw the movie Tallulah on netflix and the thought popped into my head and wouldn't go away and now I'm invested.

Gabriel didn't pride himself on his capacity for compassion. That wasn't to say he didn't have any, of course, but a lifetime of trials and tribulations had left him somewhat lacking in the appropriate faith. He wasn't blind to the way people crossed the street when he approached, or how his coworkers immediately went silent when he entered a room. However, his hard exterior was a survival tactic and nothing more. People couldn't hurt you if you didn't let them close enough. He'd learned that the hard way. He wasn't a spiritual man (neither religious, nor superstitious) but if he was he might have considered the situation he found himself in to be fate.

Being a defense attorney hadn't been Gabriel's plan as a child. Most children didn't decide on becoming a lawyer; They wanted to be doctors or astronauts or ballerinas. Gabriel just wanted to be alive long enough to have the opportunity to choose a career. By some miracle he ended up getting a free ride to UCLA on a Lacrosse scholarship and eventually found he loved proving people wrong. After graduating with a Master's in law, he joined Talon Inc. and rose steadily enough to begin making a name for himself. 

Maybe it seemed like a cliché for a lawyer to be stiff and regimented, but Gabriel more often than not found himself following a very strict schedule. There was an awkward intern kid that brought coffee to all the partners at his firm, and by now everyone knew Gabriel's order by heart. He wasn't overly fond of the shop the intern ordered from, but he certainly wasn't against it. Coffee was coffee – Gabriel wasn't picky. Today, however, something in him wanted gas station coffee. The stout man at the counter immediately tensed upon seeing Gabriel's intimidating appearance. Despite his formal business-wear, the scars were hard to miss. When he was younger and more naive he rationalized that eventually he wouldn't notice the stares, but that time had yet to come. 

“Morning,” The man greeted, waving in an attempt to ease the clerk's stress. What was the guy expecting? That Gabriel was going to rob the goddamn gas station at 7 am in a suit? The store clerk just barely returned his greeting, but he ignored it as he walked to the back of the store. 

Another quirk specific to Gabriel Reyes was his complete abhorrence for public restrooms. Gas station restrooms tended to be the worst, too, but suddenly his bladder couldn't wait the fifteen fucking minutes it would take to get a coffee and get to work. “Hey,” he called, peering around a chip rack. “You need a key for the bathroom?” 

“Huh?” The clerk looked surprised. “Uh - No. Just go ahead right in.” 

“Thanks.” Gabriel grimaced upon entering the hall. God he had to pee. He pushed the door open and paused in the threshold. “Oh – Sorry -” The last thing he'd expected to see was some guy trying (and failing) to change his kid's diaper on the disgusting floor. After the initial confusion washed away, he realized the guy couldn't be more than sixteen and looked all kinds of bedraggled. The baby, on the other hand, was oddly calm as its father struggled to change it.

The brunette's head whipped to Gabriel and he locked him with eyes so wide he looked like a damn deer in headlights. “Sorry!” Voice high, body tense. “Sorry, I just – We had to stop, and -” Gabriel knew all too well what a man close to the breaking point looked like. His brain told him to ignore it and walk away. He had cases to review and small talk to avoid. Another typical day. Only this wasn't another typical day. The boy laughed nervously and brushed his fingers through his hair. “We'll be quick, just – I - “ His breath was coming quickly and his eyes welled with tears. “I just – I don't – I don't know what I'm doing, and – I have no fucking clue what I'm doing- “ 

He should've walked away as soon as he sensed the situation. He shouldn't have stopped for goddamn gas station coffee. He should've apologized and walked away as soon as he opened the door. His instincts were usually better than this. 'Walk away' his brain screamed. 'Just walk away Gabriel'. He passed the threshold and let the door close on its own. “Here, let me show you.” Gabriel didn't have kids of his own, but he'd helped raise enough of them to at least know how to change a diaper. “You have it on backwards, see? Then you just wrap it like this and-” He held up his hands. “Voila. Fresh diaper.” 

The kid wiped furiously at his eyes, hiccuping, and Gabriel wasn't confident he'd even absorbed the information. 'Walk away' his brain reiterated. 'This isn't your business.' “How old are you?” 

The boy's head snapped to Gabriel like he'd just spat something blasphemous and his eyes grew wide. “Eighteen,” he said quickly. “Well- I'll be nineteen next month. I'm nineteen. Technically.” 

Gabriel's eyes narrowed and he raised an eyebrow. “Bullshit.” He almost didn't get a chance to finish the word before the kid started furiously packing his stuff inside a ratty old backpack. He wrapped his baby in a newish looking baby blanket and held it to his chest. Gabriel knew he was getting ready to dart, so he stepped in front of the door. The boy backed up so fast he ran right into the sink and flinched. 

“Please-” 

“Hey,” Gabriel held up his hands. “Hey,” he said again, softer this time. “Relax kid. No need to be so jumpy I'm not gonna hurt you okay? What's your name?” 

The boy watched him carefully; It pained Gabriel to see that look on his face. He was calculating – ticking off every escape route and blunt object at his disposal. With Gabriel between him and the door and the relative smallness of the bathroom (not to mention the baby) the kid wouldn't have stood a chance against someone sinister. Finally he said, “Jesse.” It wasn't because he suddenly trusted Gabriel, he knew that much. It was because he had no other options. He was trying to gain Gabriel's trust so he could use it to his advantage. 

“Jesse. Good name. I'm Gabriel. Gabriel Reyes.” Jesse didn't respond. He simply kept Gabriel fixed with an intense brown-eyed gaze. “You hungry Jesse?” 

Jesse shook his head slowly, but Gabriel knew hunger when he saw it. It was in the way his legs bowed and his shoulders slouched. It was the flash of hope in his eyes before he caught himself and extinguished that hope. He looked pale. Gabriel could only wonder how long the kid had gone without food. Or sleep, for that matter. The kid didn't want to go anywhere with him. That was for damn sure, but Gabriel wasn't about to let this kid go roaming the streets with an infant- It couldn't have been more than two months old. “When was the last time you ate Jesse?” 

The expression on Jesse's face went from hard to distressed; Like what Gabriel was saying wasn't fair. “C'mon man, just let us go,” he said, his voice coated with thick desperation. 

Gabriel was quiet as he weighed his options: Send these kids to their deaths; force them to stay put and call child protective services; or convince the kid to go with him. “When was the last time your baby ate?” 

Jesse didn't have time to look shocked or upset or angry, because choked sobs immediately overcame him. He held the baby close to his chest, leaning over it as his body shook violently with every sob. “Hey,” Gabriel said with a softness he didn't know he was capable of anymore. “It's okay,” he said again, taking a couple steps closer to the boy. “It's gonna be okay.” He didn't want to overwhelm Jesse with unwanted contact, but he didn't have to initiate anything either. Once Gabriel was close enough, the kid curled against him on his own and sobbed. 

Gabriel rubbed Jesse's back until he stopped crying maybe twenty minutes later. “It's gonna be okay kid,” he said. They both knew it wasn't going to be okay. Jesse knew his situation and Gabriel could infer based on experience. “Let me get you and your kid something to eat. You don't have to get in my car or anything like that. There's a diner down the block. We'll walk there. Public spaces, right? I'll walk ten feet ahead of you if that helps you feel safer. You can turn and run if you want and I'll have no idea.” 

Jesse stared at him and seemed to gauge his options. Gabriel already knew he would've said no if it was just him and he didn't have a kid's well-being to consider. “Okay,” he whispered, broken. He was gambling. Not only with his life, but the baby's. He had no other options. 

Gabriel opened the door and propped it with his foot so he could put some distance between himself and the kid. Jesse walked out, his eyes never leaving Gabriel. He stepped back towards the store room and Gabriel realized after a few moments that he was meant to go first. “Alright kid, just follow me.”

\----

The walk to the diner was mentally arduous. He wanted to turn around to make sure Jesse was following, but he didn't want to spook the kid. What was only a few minute's walk felt like an eternity. Once he arrived at the diner, he entered without Jesse. “Table for two and a baby.” 

The woman at the counter eyed him and glanced at Jesse and the baby as they entered a couple moments later. “Need a highchair, honey?” Gabriel looked back at Jesse who slowly shook his head. 

“...No ma'am. I'll just hold him.” 

She nodded and led them to a table near the back- presumably so Gabriel's harsh appearance and Jesse's miserable complexion wouldn't scare away customers. “Drinks?” 

“Coffee,” Gabriel said, then looked at Jesse. 

“Pepsi,” Jesse said, and after a beat added, “And a cup of hot water please.” 

The woman wrote their orders down and hurried off. Gabriel looked at Jesse and quirked an eyebrow. “What?” Jesse asked. 

“Pepsi? At seven in the morning?” 

“I'm tired. I need the caffeine.” 

“Coffee would be more appropriate.” Gabriel smirked slightly. 

Jesse didn't respond, and instead wiggled his finger at the baby. It cooed and grabbed it then tried to put it in his mouth. 

“What's its name?” Gabriel asked, watching the exchange with interest. He hadn't been around a baby in a long time. It was kind of refreshing. 

“ _His_ name is Clint,” Jesse said.

“Oh,” Gabriel sat up a bit straighter. “I get that reference. The marvel character, Clint Barton – Hawkeye, right?”

“No,” Jesse said. “Clint Eastwood. I like spaghetti westerns.” 

Gabriel made a face of approval and nodded. “Huh. You're an interesting kid.” 

Jesse glanced up at him, then back down at Clint. He didn't seem comfortable talking, so Gabriel left him alone until their drinks came. 

“Ready to order?” The waitress asked. 

“I'll take my usual,” Gabriel said. “Jesse?” 

“This one,” Jesse said, pointing to a large breakfast platter in the middle of the page. “And a sundae...but afterwards. With extra hot fudge.” 

“Sure thing dear.” The waitress took their menus away and sauntered off. 

Jesse pulled a bottle from his bag and placed a container of formula on the table. He struggled to get the cap off with Clint in his arms, so Gabriel held out a hand to offer help. After a brief hesitance, Jesse handed the bottle over and Gabriel disassembled it. “Thanks,” Jesse said as he measured out the appropriate amount of powder. He mixed the formula and reassembled the body, then shook it vigorously and set it aside. 

From where he was sitting, Gabriel could see the canister of formula was almost empty. He'd bet good money on that being the last of it. Jesse probably kept himself from eating much just so he could afford as much formula for Clint as he could. Out of options, most likely out of money. 

“What's your favorite Clint Eastwood movie?” Gabriel asked. 

“I think... _A Fistful of Dollars_ ,” Jesse said. 

Gabriel smirked and placed his fingers together like a pistol. “Get three coffins ready. Pew pew pew.” 

Jesse laughed at that, but quickly quieted himself.“My mistake...four coffins,” he finished, unable to suppress his smile. 

“That's a good one. I'm a fan of the _Dirty Harry_ series myself.” 

Jesse fixed Gabriel with an intense gaze and narrowed his eyes. “Do ya feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?” 

“So it's not _just_ spaghetti westerns?” Gabriel asked. 

“It's _mostly_ spaghetti westerns,” Jesse clarified. “I dunno. Ever since I was a kid I loved westerns. Cowboys, the open range, all that jazz.” 

Gabriel breathed a laugh and looked up as the waitress brought their food. Jesse was feeding Clint his bottle, but he eyed the food with reverence and licked his lips. This kid was good. He was more concerned with feeding his kid than feeding himself despite being very obviously starving. He didn't know a single adult parent that self-sacrificing. “Why don't I feed Clint? You should eat.” 

Jesse's eyes shot up from the food to Gabriel's face and he searched it for a reason to deny the offer. He looked down at Clint, and then at the food, and again at Gabriel. “Okay,” he said quietly, and handed the baby over. “Careful with his head. He's still – he still has trouble holding it up.”

Gabriel playfully rolled his eyes. “Kid, I'll bet anything I was changing diapers while you were still in diapers.” 

Jesse nodded. Once Gabriel had Clint comfortably cradled in his arms, he dug into the food with an audible moan. He turned red with embarrassment, obviously having wanted to internalize the sound, but continued eating nonetheless. “So you have kids?” Jesse asked through mouthfuls as he scarfed down bite after bite.

“No,” Gabriel said, watching Clint drink his formula. It was oddly nostalgic in a way Gabriel wasn't used to. Nostalgia for him usually wasn't good. “I had about eight younger siblings though. Pretty much raised them all myself. More or less.”

Jesse stopped eating and regarded Gabriel carefully. “Your parents...?” 

Gabriel knew what Jesse wanted to hear. He wanted to know the man was someone he could empathize with and maybe trust. He could tell the kid the truth, or leave it vague. “Dead now. Thank God,” is where he left it. 

Jesse seemed to accept that answer and went right back to eating. 

A couple minutes later his phone started ringing and he grabbed it with the hand that was cradling Clint, attempting to balance the three objects. “Shit. It's work – I've got to take this.” He set the bottle on the table and stood, adjusting Clint who started fussing for the rest of his formula. 

“No!” Jesse exclaimed, stopping Gabriel in his tracks. The man looked at him, confused. “I'll, uh, I'll finish feeding him. I should slow down anyway...Or I'll give myself a stomach ache.” 

Gabriel understood immediately and handed Clint over. “Sure, of course. Don't hurt yourself kid. I'll be right back,” he assured him. The relief on Jesse's face as he proceeded Clint's feeding made Gabriel's chest ache. He sighed and walked to the front patio of the diner, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What?” he snapped into the receiver. 

“ _Bonjour mon amour_ ,” Amélie's voice responded in an amused tone. “You sound happier than usual this morning.” 

“Funny,” Gabriel replied in a flat tone. “Something came up. I'm going to be late to work today.” 

“It's unlike you not to call when you are running late. Is everything alright?” Amélie asked, though her tone was still slightly amused. 

Gabriel leaned against the exterior of the diner and sighed deeply. “I came across this kid...He seriously looks like he's been through the ringer-”

“Ah, my poor sweet bleeding heart,” Amélie interrupted. Gabriel could almost feel her batting her eyelashes. “You know you can not save everyone. Sometimes it is best to get on with your life and forget you ever saw such a sad sight.” 

“I couldn't ignore it this time Amélie,” Gabriel said, looking back through the window at the two. “He's just a kid and he's got a baby with him. Just the two of them. He's all fidgety and scared- I don't know. I'm assuming the worst.” 

Gabriel felt every second of Amélie's silence draw the breath from his lungs. “This is not a matter for you to take into your own hands Gabriel.” 

“I know,” Gabriel said. “I'm gonna try and see if he'll come with me to the office. Just until I can figure out what to do with him.”

“You need to call the Child Protection Services,” Amélie said firmly. “This is not a situation for you to treat lightly.” 

“I'm not treating it lightly Amélie,” Gabriel replied, just as firm. It was no wonder their engagement fell through. Their personalities were too reactive. They had a deep connection but could hardly tolerate each other longer than a few days at a time. Good friends; That's what they were now. Maybe more than that, but never lovers again. 

“I trust you Gabriel. But please think this through. You can not let your emotions trump your logic.” 

“I know. I'll be there in an hour.” He hung up and washed his hands over his face with a sigh.

\----

“Jesse,” Gabriel said, watching the boy carve into his massive sundae. 

“Hm?” Jesse asked. He was barely able to stop long enough to look up at Gabriel, and the man had to wonder if he'd ever had a treat like this in his life. 

“Do you and Clint have a place to stay?” 

Jesse stopped eating, and his eyes immediately flitted to the side. He resumed eating, slow, and shook his head. 

Gabriel watched him for a long time, but he knew his gaze was making Jesse uncomfortable so he looked back down at the baby cradled in his arms. “I understand why you might say no to this, but my home is open to you and Clint.” 

Jesse leaned back in his seat and set his hand heavily on the table top. “I-” 

“I'll give you money to stay at a hotel. I can only afford a couple nights though. I don't want you or Clint on the streets. It's no place for a couple of kids.” He pushed Clint's hair back and lightly stroked his sleeping face. “And I don't want to call Child Protective Services.” 

Jesse's eyes widened and fear radiated off of him so palpably it made Gabriel's chest clench with anxiety. “We all have a story Jesse, and I don't know yours, but I also can't stand by while an infant's life is at risk.” Gabriel watched Jesse's fists clench and unclench nervously and he reached out, lightly touching the boy's hand in an attempt to relax him. “I have to go back to my office soon.” 

Jesse bit his lip. “...Can you let me think about it?” 

“Of course,” Gabriel said. “You can come with my to my firm, or I can pick you up later, from the library, or-” 

Jesse carefully took Clint from Gabriel and nestled him in his arms. “I'll go with you,” he whispered.

Gabriel sighed a breath of relief. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Jesse offered Gabriel a hardly-there smile. "Go ahead, make my day."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys this is another unedited chapter because I'm in a rush to leave, but I really wanted to post it right away. Please forgive me <3

“Gabriel how can you be so stupid? I thought you knew better than this!” 

“Amélie, you're not listening to me. There are no other options-”

“There are always other options! You are a victim of your own bleeding heart, mon amour. This is a matter best dealt with by professionals.” 

Jesse wondered if Gabriel and Amélie knew he could hear them. These arguments seemed like they might happen often with how easily the other workers were ignoring the two. It felt odd that no one would look directly at him, too, although it seemed like it wasn't for any reason other than that they were busy. He wondered if scrappy looking kids with babies came here often. 

“'Ello love,” The receptionist greeted, stirring him from his thoughts.

He looked up and smiled at her. “Hello ma'am.” 

“Oh don't call me ma'am that makes me feel so old! Call me Lena.” She grinned at him and brushed a few brunette locks out of her face. “Are you Gabriel's nephews, or...?” 

Jesse set his jaw and looked down at Clint. Should he lie? He wasn't sure if Gabriel wanted him to tell the truth or not. Maybe the man figured no one would bother talking to him and thus didn't give him any instructions on what to say. “Something like that I guess.” Perfect. It wasn't a lie and it wasn't the truth. 

Amélie and Gabriel had been arguing for a full hour before the yelling finally quieted down. Jesse expected them to come out of the office soon after, but they didn't. He was beginning to feel awkward sitting out in the open. The front door was nearby but, luckily, there were no windows near him. He focused on Clint instead – Ever since they started running he couldn't help but fixate over everything the baby did. It hurt him to remember how vehemently he tried to ignore the child until he couldn't take it anymore. 

He leaned over him and let Clint grab at and pull on his hair. “I am just a cowboy,” he sang in a tone quiet enough for only his baby to hear. “Lonesome on the trail.” Clint cooed at his voice, and Jesse felt his heart clench in his chest. “I'm gonna do so good by you Clint,” he whispered, pressing their foreheads together. “I promise. Once I figure it all out I promise I'm gonna give you the whole world.” He wondered when babies started to remember stuff. He tried to think back to his earliest memory, but it was all muddy and incoherent. Days blended together like a string of nightmares that hurt his head to think about. 

“Hey sweetie, you alright?” Lena asked, leaning over her desk so much Jesse thought she might fall. 

“Huh? Oh yeah. We're fine. I was just thinking.” 

Lena smiled wide and rested her head in her hands. “Your little one's so good. He hasn't fussed once!” 

Jesse slowly returned her smile. “Yeah...He's really patient.” 

The girl giggled in response to that and sat back in her seat. She opened her mouth to speak again, but a sudden ruckus down the hall stopped her in her tracks. “Genji!” 

Jesse sank back in his chair at the booming voice, gripping Clint to his chest with the baby's face hidden. Before he knew it he was on his feet and pressed into a corner between the wall and receptionist's desk trying to make himself as small as possible. Lena leaned towards him, eyes widening slowly. “That's old man Shimada. Not a very friendly guy, 'specially not when he's in such a foul mood.” 

Jesse watched as a kid definitely younger than himself stormed by. He had dyed green hair and a confident swagger – He could tell immediately that this guy came from money. Genji flipped on a pair of sunglasses and stopped in his tracks, then turned and flipped off whoever was pursuing him. “That's Shimada's youngest son,” Lena clarified, as if Jesse needed to be in the know. “He's a huge brat. That's what happens when you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth I guess - Oh! But his oldest son Hanzo is totally charming. Really sweet and respectful. Not sure what happened with Genji...he's a total delinquent.” 

Jesse didn't care. He just wanted them to leave. 

As if on cue, Genji stormed out the front door. An older gentleman followed after him, but was stopped by a much younger man. Jesse assumed they must've been Shimada and Hanzo. “Father, allow me to-” 

“No, Hanzo!” His father snapped, pulling his arm away. “You are too soft on him. He needs discipline.” 

Once Shimada was gone, Jesse instantly felt safer. His eyes drifted to the oldest son and he swallowed nervously; It was a different kind of nervousness than the kind he'd felt only moments before. The man standing before him had dark hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. A few stray hairs popped out at the sides, looking like wings to Jesse who liked to find symbolism in everything. He was tall with an athletic build and sharp, calculating eyes. Jesse brought Clint back to a more comfortable cradled position and started to rock him. His eyes slid from Hanzo's perfectly angular face to examine his clothes: A business suit and loafers. His youthful face betrayed his formal appearance, but Jesse still couldn't pinpoint an exact age. 

“Genji acting up again?” Lena asked, pouting. 

“Yes,” Hanzo replied. 

Jesse felt panic bubble up in his throat as the man approached them. On principle he was wary of men older and larger than himself, but this wasn't one of those instances. This was a different kind of anxiety. 

“I bet old man Shimada's gonna rip him a new one if he can catch up.” Lena laughed and Hanzo offered her a bemused half-smile. 

“Please do not call him that to his face.” 

Lena snorted and playfully rolled her eyes. “Ya got me Hanzy. I've got a death wish.” 

Hanzo shook his head, equally as playful, then turned a serious look on Jesse. “Who is this?” 

“This is Gabe's nephews! Jesse and uh, Clark? Clint?” 

That comment sort of rubbed Jesse the wrong way. He didn't like being talked about like he wasn't standing two feet away. Hanzo may have hit all his marks, but that shitty attitude didn't - 

“I apologize for my rudeness,” Hanzo said, and Jesse immediately forgave him. “My name is Hanzo Shimada. I am Mr. Reyes' partner's oldest son.” He held out his hand for a shake and Jesse took it. 

“I'm uh- Well Miss Oxton already introduced me - Jesse. And this is Clint.” Once Hanzo released his hand, Jesse wrapped it back around Clint. “So, uh...” Crap. He was terrible at small talk. “Are you going to school for law too then?” he asked. Maybe he could get a good gauge on the guy's age at least. Not that he expected anything. Not that he could afford to expect anything. 

Hanzo chuckled and shook his head. “No. I am planning on going to school for Business next fall.” 

That must've meant he was a senior in high school. The thought pained Jesse. He wasn't so old that there was no hope for them. 'Stop Jesse,' his mind scolded. 'Don't let your thoughts run away with you.' When he was younger his father used to say he was 'clumsy' and would 'fall easily'. It seemed like some things never changed. “Cool,” was all he could think to say short of professing his love. 

“What are your plans for the fall?” Hanzo asked. 

Jesse froze. “Uh...Nothing? Because – I mean because I'm still in high school. I haven't really...thought about what I want to do yet.” He didn't have time to think about what he wanted to do. If he really had a choice he'd live on a ranch somewhere. With horses. 

Hanzo nodded in understanding. “Which school do you attend? Is it around here?” 

“...You wouldn't know it,” Jesse said. “It's not around here. Because I'm homeschooled.” Oh god. The first lie was perfectly fine. Why did he have to change it suddenly? Part of him wondered if he liked the thrill. Another part of him wondered if he was hoping someone would notice. Someone like Gabriel who could tell he wasn't nineteen. Maybe this was all just a really elaborate cry for help. 

Hanzo raised and eyebrow. “I see. It was nice to meet you Jesse, but I must be on my way.” He turned to Lena and bowed reverently, and then did the same to Jesse. 

Jesse followed him with his eyes as he left. Stupid. Stupid for talking to him. Stupid for acknowledging him. Stupid for letting himself feel anything remotely close to attraction. He sighed and sank back into one of the chairs lining the wall. When he looked up, Lena was grinning at him. Jesse felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny, and fixed her with a look that was half confusion half concern. “What?” he asked. 

“You likeeee him,” She purred, twirling her finger at him then jabbing it forward. 

Jesse felt his body turn cold with mortification. “What? No.” 

“It's cute,” Lena said in a chipper tone. “You were totally making heart eyes at him. I'm pretty much an expert on this stuff! And, as an expert, I think it would be a great match. I know how protective Gabriel is of family though. You should've seen him when Amélie's little sister got engaged. He nearly scared the guy half to death!” She laughed and leaned on her hand, sighing dreamily. “Hanzo wouldn't stand a chance.” 

Jesse furrowed his brows and started bouncing Clint in his arms to soothe his own anxiety. “Keep me out of your weird delusions.” Lena kind of reminded him of one of his past foster brothers, always spouting nonsense. 'Maybe they'd make a great match.' He thought bitterly. 

He always wondered what happened to Jamison. After turning eighteen the boy was promptly kicked out of the home. He remember specifically how relieved his foster parents were once he was gone. It wasn't like Jamison was particularly bad – He was actually incredibly sweet and resourceful – but his foster parents had no business caring for someone with Jamison's kind of needs. In Jesse's opinion they had no business caring for anyone, but that was a whole other can of worms. 

\----

It felt like hours later when Jesse was roused from sleep. Even though he was sitting up and it was uncomfortable, it was a hard sleep. The kind that left you with memory loss when you woke up. For a moment he had no idea where he was. Morrison's office? Police Station? He ticked off the most obvious places, since it looked so business-y, but memories came flooding back to him moments later. This was Gabriel's office. “Clint?” He asked, panicked upon realizing his arms were empty.

Gabriel took a step back and said something as Jesse shot up from his seat, but Jesse wasn't listening. Lena was standing next to another woman with Clint sleeping peacefully in her arms. He scooped the baby up and held him close, his heart still racing in his chest.

“Sorry to wake ya! You fell asleep and I didn't want you to accidentally drop him, so I took him from ya. What a sweet baby,” Lena cooed, wiggling her finger at Clint despite the fact that he was asleep. 

Jesse brushed Clint's hair back. “How long was I out?” he asked. 

“Uhm – An hour? I don't remember really the time just flew by!” 

Jesse nodded and looked back over to Gabriel, questioning him with his eyes. Once Lena was done babbling, Gabriel ushered Jesse into his office. They were followed by the tall woman whom Jesse assumed was Amélie. Once they were inside, Jesse stood against the wall closest to the door. “...Can you leave the door open?” he asked warily. 

Gabriel hesitated for a moment, considering it. “We'll speak quietly, then.” He shot a look at Amélie who smirked. They seemed to have a good relationship despite all the fighting Jesse had heard earlier. Some couples just worked that way, he supposed. 

Amélie was standing in a power position with her legs apart and her arms crossed. Her blazer and skirt looked expensive. Jesse hated to admit how terrified he was of strong women. Nonetheless, he avoided looking at her or Gabriel and instead focused on Clint's face. Clint was the only thing grounding him. If it hadn't been for his baby he wouldn't have been taking all these risks. One more year in foster care. That's all he had left, then he could leave. But now that he had Clint he couldn't afford to wait another year. 

“So,” Amélie started in her thick accent. “Your name is Jesse.” 

“Yes ma'am.” 

“Do not call me ma'am,” Amélie said tersely. “You may call me Amélie. Where are your parents?” 

Gabriel shot Amélie another look. “Amélie, that's enough.” 

“I don't have any ma- Miss Lacroix.” 

“Hm.” Amélie tilted her chin up and stared down at Jesse. He hated it and felt his body begin to slouch under the pressure of her gaze. He held Clint's hand for strength and rubbed his soft skin with the top of his thumb. “Whose child is that?” 

Jesse looked up at her and quirked an eyebrow. Fear overcame him, but he couldn't force himself to look away. “He's mine.”

Amélie sighed. “The mother, I mean. Who is the mother?” 

Gabriel shrugged. “Some girl. She left him with me then disappeared.” 

“How old are you?” 

He'd told Gabriel nineteen, but he already knew the man didn't believe him. He didn't want to admit to being a minor, however, so he smiled wryly and said, “Forty.” 

Amélie's expression looked dead and she turned her head in Gabriel's direction. “No wonder you bonded with him. He is exactly like you.” 

Gabriel rolled his eyes and looked back at Jesse. “Have you made up your mind?” 

Jesse couldn't refuse. He knew he couldn't. He was just hoping some miracle would come along to make the risk easier. ...But maybe Gabriel was the miracle. “I don't know,” he said. 

“What can I do to make you feel safer Jesse?” Gabriel asked. Short of giving him a weapon to defend himself if need be, Jesse couldn't think of anything. He tried his luck anyway. 

“Pepper spray,” he said. 

Gabriel mulled the request over and nodded. “Fair enough.” Amélie made a disapproving noise next to him, but he silenced her with a look. “What else?” 

“It's only for a couple nights and then we get to keep going.”

Gabriel hesitated at that, but relented after thinking on it longer. “Sure.” 

Jesse thought harder, trying to think of an excuse to shut it all down but nothing came to mind. He was in no position to refuse help if it meant keeping Clint out of the cold for a few nights. “Okay. We'll do it.” He looked back down at Clint and prayed he wasn't making a huge mistake. If anything maybe he could lift something valuable that wouldn't be missed and pawn it off for more formula. 

Jesse could still feel the scrutiny of Amélie's gaze and it was giving him terrible anxiety. He wished she would just leave, but knew her intentions were to protect Gabriel. He was just some random street-rat after all. For all either of them knew he could've just been another con-man. 

Gabriel moved in close to Amélie and they whispered quietly to one another. Despite being no more than a few feet away, Jesse couldn't understand their mumbling. It must've been another one of those couple things. They parted after a few moments and Amélie walked to the door. “Lena, ma chérie?” 

Lena bounced over, grinning. “Yes, love?” 

“Gabriel will be taking a half day today. Once the day is over, you and I will go to the store to pick some things up for him. Is this okay with you?” 

“Of course! Do we still have dinner reservations for tonight?” Lena asked excitedly. 

Amélie chuckled and took both of Lena's hands, then kissed her lightly on the mouth. “I would not cancel them for the world. And especially not for that grumpy old man.” 

Gabriel laughed once at that.

Jesse figured he'd read things wrong. He was surprised someone as bright and bubbly was with Amélie who was, in a word, terrifying. But maybe that was his own bias. The three adults seemed to get along well and Jesse would be lying if he said he wasn't envious. He'd never felt any sort of close connection before Clint. He and Jamison had been fairly close, but even that relationship was shallow at best. They just didn't know how to help each other. 

“Come on Jesse,” Gabriel said, gesturing for the boy to follow. 

\----

Gabriel's apartment was nice. Jesse hadn't expected anything less from a lawyer, honestly. Even the décor was well-thought out and precise. Gabriel didn't seem like a man that would have good taste. Maybe he hired an interior decorator or something. 

“Do you live alone?” Jesse asked. The thought made him kind of sad. The kind of sad he'd feel when he saw old people eating alone at a restaurant. 

“I do now. When Amélie and I were engaged she lived here too.” Gabriel wasn't really paying attention as he cleaned little areas up. He shoved mail into a drawer and placed dishtowels back on their racks. Just little things. He reached into a drawer and handed Jesse a small canister of pepper spray. “Be careful with that around the baby...” he trailed off and rubbed the back of his head. “If you find yourself feeling the need to use it hide his face. That stuff can travel like crazy. And you'll need to hold your arm out completely straight-” he took Jesse's free arm and demonstrated. “Like that otherwise the spray might waft back at you.” 

Jesse took the instructions and tucked them away for later. “I have a guest room for you,” Gabriel said. 

Jesse paused. “Guest room? Like our own room?” 

Gabriel nodded. “All for you. There's a lock on the door and everything.” He walked down a deep narrow hall and waved Jesse to follow him. “Here it is.” 

The room wasn't huge, but it was a good size. He and Jamison had shared a room where they shared a bunkbed meant for twelve year olds. This room had a large queen sized bed and a flatscreen television. “Does that work?” Jesse asked, pointing to the tv. 

“Oh, yeah it should. I don't get many guests so I haven't really used it in awhile. I don't watch a lot of tv, but the one in the living room definitely works. You're free to use it. The kitchen's open- I just went to the store so there should be plenty of food in there. Amélie's gonna bring more formula and some other stuff you might need. There's a bath and shower in the bathroom and there should be shampoo in there.” He pointed to a door in the room. “I have some spare clothes in the drawers there. And Jesse?” Jesse stopped marveling at all the amenities and looked at Gabriel, eyes wide. “Make yourself at home, okay?” 

Jesse looked down at his feet and gave a subtle nod. With that, Gabriel left the room and closed the door. Jesse waited until he could assume Gabriel was out of earshot and locked the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your kind words and comments! I really appreciate every single comment, kudos, and bookmark!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm going to get very mushy for a moment: I just wanted to extend a really big thank you to everyone who has bookmarked/kudosed/commented on this fic! It really means a lot to me! Your kind comments really help me get through all the stress and depression I've been feeling from school and life lately! 
> 
> This is another unedited/unbetaed chapter...I'm sorry, but I've been very busy and I want to make sure I get the chapters out as fast as possible! I try to be careful not to make mistakes in the first place, but nobody's perfect. I apologize for any mistakes in the grammar/story!
> 
> Poor Jesse is very conflicted :(

Once Jesse was alone, he felt an incredible weight lift off his shoulders. He was safe here. No one would think to look for him here. Gabriel seemed nice. He was locked in a room which was in a locked house with warmth and food and water. The thought choked him up. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt safe. 

He hadn't felt overtly dirty while wandering the streets, but being in such an immaculate room brought a sudden awareness to how filthy he was. He didn't want to lay down and ruin Gabriel's comforter. He hadn't looked at the bathroom yet, so he picked up his backpack and went to investigate. 

The bathroom was just as extravagant as the bedroom. He almost felt guilty, but he figured he could do more good for the apartment clean than dirty. “Should I take a shower...?” he mused aloud, then looked down at Clint. “Will the steam hurt you Clint?” It would at least make him too hot, and Jesse didn't want to risk overheating him. He sure as Hell wasn't leaving him with Gabriel or alone in the other room. “Bath it is.” 

There was an almost absurdly plush rug on the floor that Jesse used to make a bed for Clint. He used a couple baby blankets and one of his sweaters and set Clint in the homemade nest. “Is that comfy Clint?” 

Clint responded to the sound of Jesse's voice with a small coo and he smiled, reaching out for his father. Jesse smiled and pressed their foreheads together, then kissed him all over. “One day you'll have your own bed. A nice big one like Gabriel's guest bed. Cross my heart.” He crossed his heart, then crossed Clint's heart. 

“Alright Clint, how does this shower work? Looks like...maybe...” he turned the knobs and water started flowing. It only took seconds for the temperature to heat up. He made sure it wasn't scalding like he liked it, so the bathroom wouldn't flood with steam, but warm enough to soothe him. While he waited for the tub to fill, he focused on playing with Clint's feet. 

Once the water reached a decent level, Jesse shed his clothes and sighed. He couldn't remember the last time he'd taken a real shower. He and Clint hadn't been on the run longer than a couple weeks, but all the money he'd had he rationed for formula and occasionally food for himself. 

Getting clean was a process. He wasn't exactly caked in dirt, but the water wasn't quite clear by the time he'd scrubbed his skin raw. After a half hour of cleaning himself, emptying the tub, refilling, and repeating, he finally felt clean enough to relax. The fourth time around he filled the tub with warm (not hot) water and carefully picked Clint up. He rested the baby on his chest and sank down in the water, careful to keep only his tiny legs submerged. 

The warmth and security of the bath was beginning to put Jesse to sleep not fifteen minutes later, but forcing himself to get out was a torment. “I don't want to move Clint. I want to stay here forever.” Clint made a small, fussy noise and Jesse laughed. “Yeah. It would be nice, wouldn't it?” He gently washed Clint's skin and brushed some water through his hair. He'd just run out of baby shampoo a day or two before, and usually he just washed Clint in a sink, but the boy still had that nice new baby smell.

Jesse took care of getting himself dressed first. Gabriel had a pair of sweats and a shirt in the dresser that were slightly too big for Jesse, but if he tied the drawstring on the pants it wasn't too bad. After dressing he set to putting Clint in a new diaper. He was running out of those too. He didn't secure it as cleanly as Gabriel had, but it at least looked right. 

“Are you ready for a nap?” It was a facetious statement because Clint was already drifting off. He sure did sleep a lot. But it wasn't bad: He was an oddly temperate baby for their situation. He briefly wondered if that would change once Clint grew up. He wondered if the baby would hate him for not being able to provide for them better. He shoved the anxieties to the back of his mind and curled up on the bed. It was beyond comfortable; He felt himself falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

\----

When Jesse woke up hours later it was in a daze. The room was dark and he was warm, which was unusual; where was the chilly night-time air? It was autumn after all. It took him a few moments to remember he was in Gabriel's home. He could smell home-cooking coming from the other room and heard muffled voices. The voices concerned him. Would Gabriel really call CPS on him? He looked at Clint and knew he couldn't let his son become lost in the system. Not like he was. 

He opened the door quietly and peeked his head out. The guest room was at the end of the hall, so he couldn't see anything but the voices he heard were unmistakable. One was Gabriel's, of course, and the other was Hanzo Shimada's. Jesse fathomed a million different reasons why the man would be here, but they all seemed like paranoia at best. He was probably just visiting. 

He walked back into the room and picked up Clint, then made his way into the living room. The kitchen was connected to the dining room by a large arch so Jesse could see the two standing side by side at the counter. Hanzo had his sleeves rolled up and was chopping avocado while Gabriel seasoned whatever was cooking in a large pot. 

“-being around someone his own age. I thought maybe he could benefit.” 

“Do you think it will be that easy?” Hanzo asked. “He seems...skittish.” 

Jesse wanted to listen closer to see if he could get any clues as to what they were talking about. It had to have something to do with him-

“Oh, Jesse.” 

Jesse looked up to see Hanzo had turned to him. He wasn't sure how the other had heard him coming (maybe it was just coincidence) but he cursed himself for not hiding better. 

Gabriel turned to look as well and smiled. “Finally up? You and Clint were out for hours.” 

“Yeah...” Jesse said, suspicious. “How long?” 

Gabriel looked at the clock. “Seven or eight. You must've been exhausted.”

He was exhausted. He probably could've slept another six, easy, and Clint slept more often than not. 

“Hanzo stopped by instead of Lena and Amélie. They, uh, went overboard and almost missed their dinner reservations,” Gabriel continued. “They sent Hanzo with all the stuff.” 

Jesse cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

Gabriel wiped his hands on a towel and walked to the living room, gesturing for Jesse to follow. Hanzo stayed behind, but Jesse felt weird being flanked by the two (even if they were both a good distance away) so he followed the wall so he wouldn't have to turn his back on either of them. “This is what I mean.” 

The room looked post-Christmas like in those movies where the families are happy and rich and don't have to worry about things like finding food or a safe place to sleep. A bulky stroller emulated a tree where bags and boxes acted as gifts. Jesse stared blankly, because he still didn't quite understand. 

“They're for you,” Gabriel explained. “I asked Amélie and Lena to get you some amenities for you and Clint- You know, formula, clothes, stuff like that. I think Lena might've gotten carried away.” 

Jesse looked up at him, still confused. “This stuff is for us?” he asked. 

“Yeah, here look,” Gabriel sat on the floor and started shuffling through things. “Books you can read to him, pjs, pacifiers...”

The gesture still wasn't registering with Jesse. He didn't get it. “This is for us?” he asked again. 

Gabriel eyed him with an inscrutable look. He was quiet for a while and had stopped shuffling through bags, so he and Jesse were at a stalemate. “For you and Clint,” he elaborated. 

“I can't afford any of this,” Jesse said quickly. “I don't have any money.”

“It's already paid for.” Gabriel smiled at him and gestured again for him to come and sit. 

Jesse felt his heart pound in his chest. What would he have to do in return for all this stuff? It looked expensive. He couldn't get a job because there was no one to watch Clint and begging wasn't exactly stable income. He knew the debt was his as soon as he touched any of it, so he stayed put. 

Gabriel looked like he was about to say something, but Hanzo peeked his head out of the kitchen. “The stew is boiling Mr. Reyes,” he said reverently. 

“Coming,” Gabriel said. He got up and left to the kitchen. Jesse could still see him, but he decided to stare at the collective of baby things. Books, toys, formula...He couldn't possibly carry all of that. Well, most of it could fit in the stroller. Still. He couldn't accept it. There was no way he was going to be indebted to a stranger, no matter how nice Gabriel and his friends seemed. He had to find out what exactly they were angling for. 

Jesse decided he'd follow Gabriel into the kitchen. Mostly it was the smell of food and the prickling curiosity nipping at the back of his mind that attracted him. “What're you guys making?” he asked. 

“Pozole,” Gabriel replied. “I should've asked this earlier, but I didn't want to wake you. Any allergies?” 

“No,” Jesse said. “I mean I don't really know, I guess.” 

Gabriel nodded and hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “If you start feeling sick let me know, okay?” 

“...Okay.” Jesse watched the two as they continued to cook in silence. He wished they'd start talking again. He needed to learn how to be stealthier. He was usually pretty good at sneaking around so he was shocked that Hanzo was able to detect him so easily. Maybe it was because he had Clint in his arms? 

“It is almost ready,” Hanzo said. “Do you need to feed the baby?” 

“I'm gonna wait until he wakes up,” Jesse said.

“Do you wanna lay him down in the room?” Gabriel asked. “It might be easier for you that way- If you lay him on his back and take the pillows off the bed he should be fine until you're done eating.” 

“I'll hold him.”

Gabriel nodded once, then gestured to the dining room table. “Take a seat Jesse. We'll bring out the food.” 

Hanzo set the table quietly while Gabriel brought out the stew. He placed it on a dishtowel so it wouldn't burn the table, then served out portions. “I hope you don't mind Hanzo joining us for dinner.” 

Jesse shook his head. “I don't mind.” He'd be lying if he said Hanzo didn't make him uncomfortable. But it wasn't in a bad way- Not at all. It was hard to look at him. He was pretty and sharp with a silent but commanding presence. In different circumstances Jesse would be all over him, but he knew he had to show restraint. Hanzo wasn't his to pursue; There was no point getting his own hopes up. He just had to look at him as little as possible. 

“I was thinking tomorrow you and Hanzo could go out together,” Gabriel said suddenly. 

Jesse knew Gabriel was going to bring this up at some point, he just hadn't expected him to do it so quickly. He was almost taken aback, but hid it well. “Go where?” he asked. 

“I have mitigation with a client tomorrow-” Gabriel started. Basically he didn't want to leave Jesse alone in his home while he was gone. That was understandable, Jesse figured. “-So I thought Hanzo could keep you entertained. You know, take you somewhere fun and then lunch? Something like that.”

“I know of many interesting places we can go,” Hanzo interjected. “Ultimately I am willing to go anywhere you would like to go.” 

Jesse shifted in his seat and looked at his bowl of pozole. He was ashamed of how uncomfortable everyone's kindness made him feel. It all just seemed like one big elaborate lie. “Okay,” he said. He decided it would be easier to leave tonight while Gabriel slept. He needed to get out of the city (or the state if that was possible). 

Hanzo and Gabriel made light conversation for the rest of dinner, but it wasn't anything that interested Jesse. Mostly he was considering what he'd need to take with him. Did he take the stroller or leave it? He'd take the formula and diapers for sure. Maybe some of the blankets and clothes. Clint needed toys though, it was essential to a baby's development...maybe? He wasn't really sure. 

“Are you okay?” Gabriel asked. Jesse realized he was nodding off, and became flustered. 

“Yeah. I guess I'm still tired.” He adjusted Clint who was still sound asleep. It amazed him how long the baby could sleep for.

“You should try and go back to sleep,” Hanzo suggested. “I will pick you up at 9 am tomorrow. Is that okay with you?” 

“Sure,” Jesse said. 

Hanzo took out his phone to pencil in the date- or, er, get together- presumably, then began collecting dishes. Jesse went to take his own dish, but Hanzo was faster. “I will take it,” he said, smiling down at him.

Jesse felt his heart thrum in his chest and he let out an unintentional breath. “Thank you.” His eyes flitted to Gabriel who was watching him with an indecipherable expression. “What?” he asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. 

“Do you need anything else?” Gabriel asked.

“No.” 

The man stood and gestured to a door with his thumb. “I'll be working in my office if there's anything you need. Anything at all.” 

“Thanks,” Jesse said. Damn. Was Gabriel planning on working all night to make up for missing the day? Would he be able to sneak out stealthily enough? What if Clint started crying? There were too many variables, but he knew he couldn't stay. Jesse knew from earlier that day that Gabriel left for work some time before 7 am, so was he planning on leaving Jesse alone until Hanzo came to pick him up an hour later? Maybe it was a test to see how trustworthy he was? He'd find away. He'd gotten out of worse situations. 

“Jesse you look exhausted. You should try and get some more rest before tomorrow,” Gabriel said, drawing him from his thoughts. 

“Okay...thanks,” Jesse said again before retreating back to the guest room. 

\----

Clint slept for another five hours before waking up fussy. Jesse figured now that he wasn't so fatigued, the hunger was getting to him. “Let's make you a bottle,” he said, bouncing the baby to comfort him. Even now Clint wasn't crying, just fussing quietly.

Jesse tiptoed to the kitchen and prepared warm water for a bottle. All the lights in the house off and the door that Gabriel had indicated as his office looked vacant. He must have gone to sleep.

Feeding Clint was an anxious endeavor, because Gabriel could wake up at any moment. He just wanted to leave as soon as possible for his and Clint's safety- Who knows what Gabriel wanted from them. He wasn't getting anything out of this. Nobody took in two kids just to be “nice”, that was for sure. He'd taken his gamble with foster parents and he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. “Okay Clint. It's time for us to go.” Clint babbled at him which slightly calmed his nerves. 

The stuff Amélie and Lena had bought was still in the living room. He shoved some things in his backpack, then placed it in the undercarriage of the stroller. “Should we take some food?” he whispered. Clint cooed, and Jesse glanced at the kitchen. He grabbed whatever he could- granola bars, fruit, chips, bread. Gabriel had a well-stocked kitchen, but a lot of his groceries were ingredients or perishable. Jesse wasn't complaining with what he had managed to get his hands on though. 

He didn't know where he was going to put the food. He could set it inside the stroller with Clint, but didn't want to upset him; There weren't many options, though. He set the food on the floor and tried to think it out. It would take some tetris-ing to keep Clint comfortable. 

He paused suddenly when he heard a door creak open. His head whipped to the hallway and he stared, wide-eyed. Shit. He didn't know what to do.

“Jesse?” Gabriel turned the lights on and squinted at him. “Is everything alright?” 

“Yeah,” Jesse said. He could hear how stupid his words sounded. Gabriel watched him and Jesse knew he knew. “Sorry, I...I was just looking at the stuff Miss Lacroix brought over,” he said. 

Gabriel nodded and took a few steps toward him. Jesse's hand rested on Clint's belly and he tensed defensively. That seemed to make Gabriel stop. “You're still hungry?” Gabriel asked, gesturing at the food. 

Jesse knew that Gabriel knew he wasn't hungry. He was giving him an out. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess I didn't eat enough pozole at dinner...Also I had to give Clint his bottle.” 

“How's he doing?” Gabriel asked.

“Good,” Jesse replied. “I think he likes the stroller. He seemed really interested in it.” 

“Yeah,” Gabriel said. “That's good. Can I show you something?” 

“...Okay,” Jesse replied, suspicious. 

Gabriel slowly walked towards him, then knelt down and started opening one of the boxes. He pulled a rolled up mat out of it and laid it out flat, then connected some colorful attachments. “Can I hold Clint?” 

Jesse hesitated, but took Clint out of the stroller. “What is that thing?” he asked before passing the baby over. 

“It's a toy,” Gabriel said. “It's good for newborns. It stimulates their brains.” 

It took Jesse a moment to make up his mind, but he eventually passed Clint to Gabriel. He was amazed at how gentle Gabriel was with Clint. He looked like such an intimidating man, not that Jesse was one to judge. Even the nicest looking people could be absolute monsters. 

Gabriel laid Clint on his back under the colorful arch of dangling toys and swatted one of them. Clint picked up on Gabriel's guidance and reached up to play. His smile made Jesse's heart melt and he felt all the rigidity drain out of his spine. “He loves it,” he commented. 

Gabriel nodded. “Babies love stuff like this.” He glanced at Jesse who was going through all the toys, examining them closely. “What was your favorite toy as a kid? My abuela gave me a G.I. Joe action figure shortly before she passed away. I still have it in my office.” 

Jesse scooted closer to Clint and gently batted at some of the toys. Clint cooed in response, and tried to mimic his motions. “I didn't have any toys growing up,” he admitted. 

Gabriel sighed and rubbed his hand over his head. “Jesse, I can't make you trust me, but I want to help you-” He looked at Clint and then back at the brunette. “Both of you. If there's anything I can do for you, you just tell me okay?...If you need to leave I understand, but please consider what's best for your child.” 

Jesse was quiet. He couldn't look at Gabriel, so he kept his eyes focused on Clint. “Okay,” he said. 

Gabriel still seemed troubled, but they both focused on playing with Clint instead.


	4. Chapter 4

Jesse didn't end up leaving after that night. Instead, he went back to the guest room and went to sleep. It was hard because Clint was wide awake after his feeding, but after giving him one of the pacifiers Amélie and Lena had bought it didn't take too long for him to fall under again. There was a digital alarm clock in the room that Jesse set for 8:30 am. That would give him just enough time to get ready for Hanzo. 

Gabriel left him a change of clothes and a new toothbrush since his was old with frayed bristles. It didn't take him long to get ready and once he was nearly done eating the breakfast Gabriel had left for him, there came a knock on the door. He checked through the peephole to make sure it was Hanzo before answering. “Good morning Jesse,” Hanzo greeted. 

“Morning...er...Mr. Shimada?” Saying Hanzo felt weird. He didn't know if it was because Hanzo and Gabriel were close, or because the other was dressed in a button up shirt tucked into tan slacks. He looked like a man. Jesse suddenly felt self-conscious in his graphic jumper and jeans. “Should I've dressed up more? Where are we going?” 

“Hanzo is fine,” Hanzo said in response to Jesse's first question. “You are dressed fine. I thought you could choose where we go.” 

In a weird way it felt like Gabriel had set him and Hanzo up on a date. They were alone (minus Clint), Hanzo was dressed nice, and the whole thing felt awkward as Hell. Did parents usually set their kids up on dates? – He stopped himself and felt his heart lurch with anxiety. Gabriel wasn't his parent. That was a weird, rogue thought that he needed to shove deep deep deep down inside himself. He wouldn't give it enough air to breathe in the hopes that it would suffocate somewhere untouched by his conscience. 

“Oh, uh, hold on, I forgot Miss – uh, Amélie and Lena brought Clint a stroller.” He hurried back into the apartment and set Clint inside the stroller. It was large and complex looking and it gave Jesse anxiety not being able to see Clint clearly. All he really did was sleep unless he needed food or a change, but regardless. He pulled the canopy back so he could see the top of Clint's head. 

Hanzo was watching him with an unreadable expression and suddenly Jesse wished he had something to cover his face, like a hat. “We can go to the museum, or the park. Little Tokyo, a movie...anything you would like.” 

The options felt weird. The whole situation felt weird. Reasonably he knew why Gabriel wanted Hanzo to take him out: He didn't want to leave Jesse alone in his home, which was understandable, especially after he almost robbed his kitchen the night before. But still it seemed like he was being set up somehow. “...I don't really care where we go,” he finally said, mostly because he couldn't choose. A movie sounded nice, but he wasn't sure if Clint could handle something like that.

“I am partial to the museum,” Hanzo said, unsurprisingly. “There is an exhibit I would like to see there, if you are interested.” 

“Let's go there then,” Jesse said, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't really interested, but he also felt like he didn't really have a choice. The fact that Hanzo was good-looking softened the blow a little. As much as his inner-monologue indicated complaint, he was mostly just content being warm, clean, and fed. Not to mention well-rested. Maybe that's why he was so uncomfortable? He wasn't used to feeling this good. He had to shove it far back before it was ripped away from him. 

\----

Jesse's mouth was practically to the floor when he saw Hanzo's car. It was nice. Really, really nice. And shiny. It looked brand new. For some reason Jesse had been expecting him to drive a Toyota from 1980-whatever or something. He looked down at Clint and sucked in a breath. “How are we, uh...” he trailed off. “That looks dangerous.” He himself was no stranger to risking his life, but having a baby changed everything. He longed for the days where he could ride off with a handsome stranger in his big metal death-trap without a care in the world. He missed being irresponsible and reckless. 

“My father's assistant is lending us her carseat. Is this alright?” Hanzo asked. He opened the back door and made room for Jesse. 

One look at the carseat made Jesse nervous. He didn't know how to work one- He'd never touched one in his life. What if he did it wrong? He looked at Hanzo and bit his lip. “Uh...”

Hanzo caught on fast and stepped next to him. “Let me see him,” he said. 

Jesse was reluctant, but carefully placed Clint in Hanzo's arms. Clint watched Hanzo with wide eyes before reaching for his long ponytail and pulling. Hanzo let out an airy laugh and tilted his head to one side. He looked cute with Clint. Jesse felt his heart beat hard in his chest, and he had to look away while Hanzo buckled Clint in. 

After they loaded the stroller into the trunk Jesse slid into the passenger's seat. “What kind of car is this?”

“Maserati,” Hanzo said. “It is my father's.” He looked to Jesse for a moment, then added, “I do not care for it much.” 

Jesse wasn't sure whether or not Hanzo had said that to make him feel better about his own poverty or if he actually meant it. Did he even know? He wondered what Gabriel had told him. 

“Oh,” Hanzo said suddenly. “Mr. Reyes asked me to give this to you.” He reached into his pocket and handed Jesse a standard looking flip-phone. 

Jesse turned it over in his hands, blinking at it like it might disappear. “A burner?” Hanzo nodded. “...Thanks.” 

They made small talk for the rest of the trip, but Jesse found it hard to concentrate without Clint in his arms. It was comforting to hear the baby babble, but every time he grew silent Jesse felt anxiety creep up on him again. 

When they finally arrived at the museum, Jesse wasted no time getting Clint out of the carseat and back in his stroller. “Are you ready to look at some art Clint?” he asked. Clint didn't seem interested, and Jesse didn't exactly blame him. “What exhibit are you lookin' for?” 

“It's called Tokyo 1955 to 1970. A New Avant-Garde. It's a display of various artists from Tokyo as the city attempted to recover art and culture after the war,” Hanzo explained. 

“Sounds interesting,” Jesse lied. He never really 'got' traditional art, and he definitely never went out of his way to go to museums or rent books. His true passion for art laid in old cinema, but there wasn't really anywhere for him to find stuff like that. He was devastated when he and Clint had to leave his foster home, because that meant leaving his collection behind.

“It should be,” Hanzo agreed, leading them inside. 

The museum itself was huge; Jesse was actually kind of surprised. There were more exhibits than just the one Hanzo wanted to see, too. “There's a lot here,” Jesse commented off-handedly. 

Hanzo looked at him oddly. “Have you never been to a museum before?” 

“Not really,” Jesse said.

Hanzo didn't push the subject and pointed out all the different exhibits. “Tell me if you see something interesting,” he said. 

Jesse didn't think he would, but nodded anyway. He kind of liked how quiet and serious Hanzo was. It was so different from what he was used to. His old foster brother was wild and a little bit weird. His birth parents were loud and volatile. His foster parents were a whole other can of worms. Gabriel and Hanzo made him feel calm and comfortable, and yet because of that he felt incredibly uncomfortable around them. It didn't make any sense, honestly. 

There were many pieces in the Tokyo exhibit, and Hanzo lingered on each one for several minutes. Jesse didn't understand what there was to look at for so long. What could you see by looking for ten minutes that you couldn't see by looking for thirty seconds? 

“What do you think this means?” Hanzo asked after staring at a polyester casting for some time. 

Jesse looked at him and quirked his brow. “What do you mean? It's a big blob filled with random stuff. It doesn't mean anything.” 

Hanzo raised an eyebrow at him and laughed slightly. “I see,” he said. 

Jesse frowned. Hanzo had no right to laugh at him. Just because he didn't make up a bunch of bullshit on what a plastic ball of various items 'meant' didn't mean Hanzo could judge him. “I'm not stupid you know.” 

“I did not say that you were,” Hanzo replied, his attention back on the object.

“Well you don't gotta laugh at me just because I don't understand art,” Jesse pressed in a terse voice. 

“I just thought it was cute is all. I did not mean it negatively.” The comment was dismissive and off-handed, but Jesse couldn't let it go.

“Well if you're so smart, then what does it mean?” 

“I think you are right. I think it does not mean anything,” Hanzo said. 

Now Jesse was really confused. He shifted Clint from one arm to the other and looked hard at the piece. Even though Hanzo apparently agreed with him, he still didn't get it. 

“Look,” Hanzo said, gesturing. “Watches, bones, bottle caps, hair, eggshells...He embedded these items in a polyester...'blob' and now they are useless. Their purpose is gone, and yet they are still serving a purpose. It is a reminder that nothing truly means anything. And anything can mean everything. Life, time, wealth, it's all inconsequential. Considering the artist lived through various wars, you can assume he may have been disillusioned with material wealth and the the limitations of mortality. And so, as you said, it does not mean anything. Or we may be completely wrong. That is what I love about art.” He smiled at Jesse, though it was subtle, and moved on to the next piece. 

Jesse stared at the piece longer, trying to see what Hanzo was seeing. It sounded like he'd pulled all those words out of his ass, and yet he sounded suave as Hell saying them. He glanced back down at Clint and sighed. “I don't get art, Clint,” he said, finally following after Hanzo. 

One piece in particular was more interesting to Jesse than the others, only because it was more graphic. It featured several school girls riding a train They didn't have faces except for one giant eye in the middle of their head. In the center of the painting was a sphere filled with a view of the ocean.

“What do you like about this piece?” Hanzo asked after realizing Jesse's intense focus. 

“It's kind of frustrating,” Jesse said. “I want to look around the circle with the ocean parts in it. It's real pretty, but it sucks that you can't see around it.” 

Hanzo nodded. “I agree. Very frustrating.” He went on to talk about the piece but used terms Jesse didn't know in this context like 'contrast' and 'values' and 'saturation'. He could pick up bits and pieces from context clues, but most of it was beyond him.

“Is there anything else you'd like to see?” Hanzo asked once they'd finished with the Tokyo exhibit.

Jesse shrugged. “Sorry, I'm not really a museum person.” 

Hanzo tilted his head at him and looked back off towards the exhibit. “I am sorry. Did you have a bad time?” 

“No, I had fun,” Jesse said. It wasn't a lie. He liked Hanzo, even if he didn't understand him sometimes. There was something about him that was just pleasant and relaxing. 

“What was your favorite piece in the exhibit?” Hanzo asked. He didn't seem like the expressional type, but Jesse felt like he was slowly picking up on his subtleties. 

“You,” Jesse wanted to say. It had a little to do with the fact that he didn't find the exhibit all that interesting but it was also, in part, Hanzo himself. It wasn't just his lean waist and broad shoulders or the set of his eyes and jaw, it was also the minute changes in his expression and the the way he held a presence despite being silent. 

“Me?” Hanzo asked, quirking a brow. 

Jesse paused. No. He hadn't said that out loud. There was no way. He'd thought it in his head like anyone would do when confronted with an incredibly embarrassing pick up line. “No,” was all he could think to say in response. 

“No?” Hanzo asked again. 

Jesse turned away from the brunette as he felt his face heat up with the beginnings of a blush. “You,” he continued. “Should think of somewhere for us to get lunch.” 

Hanzo didn't seem convinced by Jesse's recovery, but he had the good sense to keep it to himself. “There is a cafeteria in the museum,” he said. “We can get something portable and take it into the gardens. There is an installation that is a lake and river going through the garden. It is very beautiful.” 

“That sounds alright,” Jesse said, rubbing his cheeks with his palm like it might wipe away the ruddiness. 

Jesse was able to buy lunch with the money Gabriel had left him the night before. Part of him wanted to pocket it and save it for any future emergencies, but he couldn't do it in good faith. It wasn't like he hadn't stolen before, but stealing from Gabriel felt wrong. Even if the man had given him the money to begin with, its sole purpose was for this day out with Hanzo. He ended up buying a pesto chicken sandwich with tomato and a bag of sunchips. 

Hanzo, on the other hand, ordered a ceasar salad. They made their way to the garden and found a shaded area. Jesse left Clint in his stroller and covered him with a blanket. He was surprised he wasn't hungry, but Clint's schedule was fairly unpredictable. 

“So you have a sibling?” Jesse asked, only to fill the silence. 

Hanzo obviously wasn't expecting the question, because he glance quickly at Jesse and then back down at his food. “I do.” 

“He seems...interesting. I hope he's okay. Your dad looked pretty mad yesterday.” 

Hanzo set his fork down and Jesse was afraid he might have touched on a sour subject. He cleared his throat and brushed his hands through his hair. “Sorry, I didn't mean to-” 

“It is alright,” Hanzo interjected. “You did not offend me.” 

Jesse didn't bring it up again because he understood why someone would want to keep their family life private. He bit into his sandwich and watched a couple cross an intricately designed bridge that arced over the river installation. 

“He was alright,” Hanzo said after a long, meditative silence. 

“That's good,” Jesse said. 

“My father chastised him for his disrespect, but Genji is a foolish child and refuses to listen.”

Jesse laughed at that. “Is he now?” It wasn't too long ago that he was running around flipping off authority figures and yelling profanities. Now, though, he had to be careful. “It seems like you really care about your brother. It's good he has someone willing to stick his neck out like that for him.” 

Hanzo looked down and drank from his bottle of tea. Jesse wondered if he'd struck another chord and commended himself for his ability to continuously fuck up. 

“Sorry,” Jesse apologized again. “Seems like I can't figure out the right things to say.” He tried to laugh it off, but it was obvious he was just pretending. 

“You do not have to apologize,” Hanzo said. “I am only remembering the past.” 

“That's a dangerous thing to do,” Jesse said. “Just speaking from experience.” 

Hanzo chuckled humorlessly and sat in a more comfortable position. He looked relaxed and tense at the same time and Jesse had to resist prying. If Hanzo wanted to tell him, he would. “You are right.” He was quiet again, then sighed and looked up at the sky. “When he was born I hated him.” 

“A lot of kids hate their siblings when they're born,” Jesse said. “I don't think it's something you need to feel bad about.” 

“He could have died because of me,” Hanzo said. He looked away and didn't say anything else. 

It was so sudden and weirdly out of place that Jesse didn't know how to respond. “Uh,” he started. “I'm sure it wasn't your fault. What happened...if you don't mind me asking?” Hanzo was so stoic that Jesse figured he wasn't going to answer. 

“My family lived in Tokyo until a few years ago,” he started. “There is something called the Bon Festival – it is to honor the spirits of your ancestors. For children, it is more about the games and rides and food. I was fourteen that summer, and Genji was eleven. My father ordered me to watch over him, but I wanted to spend time with my friends without him.” He looked at Jesse who prompted him to continue with a slight nod. 

“Genji was obsessed with me when he was a child. It annoyed me, mostly. He never wanted to leave my side. I gave him a 500 yen piece and asked him to buy me a snack. He ran off to one of the booths and I left him there. My father called me several hours later to check in on us. I told him Genji had run off and he told me that I had to find him. It was dark out and some of my friends had to go find their families, so I went to look for him. I saw emergency vehicles in the distance with their sirens on and panicked.” 

Jesse let out a small breath and leaned slightly forward. “What happened?” he asked. 

“I told the paramedics I was his brother so they let me ride in the ambulance with him to the hospital. They said he had fallen into the river, but there was a railing that should have made it impossible for a child to accidentally fall in. Genji had been telling me for weeks about a bully at his school that was tormenting him. I suspected that might have been the cause.”

“Did Genji tell you?” Jesse asked. “That it was the bully I mean?” 

Hanzo shook his head. “He was unconscious for a long time. I was so panicked. What if he died after I had been so cruel to him? I was only fourteen then, but I came to realize the only reason I was worried about him was because I knew my father was going to be angry at me, and because I was guilty. All of my reasons were selfish. I felt like a monster.” 

Jesse wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know what to say. He was never close enough with anyone to worry about them like that. He felt mostly contempt for the people he knew. Jamison and Clint were the exceptions, and even then he didn't feel a deep connection with Jamison. If anything happened to Clint though – He sucked in a breath. He couldn't even think about that. “We all make mistakes,” is what he settled on. 

“My 'mistake' nearly cost my brother his life,” Hanzo said, somber. “When he woke up he wouldn't speak to me. I begged him for forgiveness, but he wouldn't even look at me. Perhaps he also knew that I was nothing more than a selfish boy. My father arrived shortly after Genji woke up and immediately began yelling at me for not keeping a better eye on him. I was petrified Genji would tell him the truth...that I deliberately left him behind. He didn't though. He interrupted my father and told him he ran off on purpose because he wanted to find some of his friends. The fact that he had interrupted my father was unbelievable. He is a very strict and old fashioned man. More unbelievable was that he had lied for me.” 

“So things never got better between you two after that?” Jesse asked. 

“I was so ashamed of myself, Jesse. My family is not known for their ability to communicate with one another.” Hanzo leaned back on his hands and tilted his head back. Jesse's eyes traced up the column of his throat and he had to force himself to look away before his thoughts ran away with him. 

“I'm sure things will get better between you two.” Jesse couldn't really think of what else to say.

“You are easy to talk to, Jesse,” Hanzo said. 

“Am I?” Jesse asked. 

“I have never told anyone this story.” 

Jesse was honored that Hanzo was so willing to share this part of himself. Not only the story about his brother, but the art too. Hanzo had a tough exterior, but Jesse could sense the vulnerability in him. “I'm happy you shared it with me.” 

After that they talked about light stuff. Jesse told him about all his favorite westerns and actors. Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, obviously. Hanzo didn't know any of the movies, but confided that he was a fan of Indie movies. Apparently Hanzo had always wanted to go to a Sundance Film Festival, but could never find the time. Jesse suggested they go together one day. 

Eventually the sky started turning pink, so Hanzo suggested they go back. He dropped Jesse off at Gabriel's apartment complex and they said their goodbyes. It was a good day – maybe the best day of his life. When he got to Gabriel's apartment, the front door was cracked open and he could hear voices. 

“-highly at risk. He's got a bit of a record, but it's nothing unusual for children in his situation. A few petty theft charges, some vandalism charges, one trespassing charge. He's not dangerous, and he's not a criminal, but he needs help.” 

Jesse recognized that voice and his blood went cold. He pushed the door open silently, trying to get a better look. His heart caught in his throat when he saw the back of Jack Morrison's head sitting across from Gabriel at the dining room table. Jack was Jesse's case worker. He was nice, but Jesse couldn't trust him as far as he could throw him. Not to mention he didn't know what his foster parents had told the man. No one believed a vilified foster child over their foster parents. Never. 

“I already told you Jack, I haven't seen him,” Gabriel insisted firmly. 

“I know Gabe...I got a call that someone saw a kid matching his description with a four month old baby in this area. I remembered you live here, so I thought I'd stop by and ask. 

“Look, there's something else,” Jack sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “The baby that's with him is his foster brother. The parents had this kid a couple months ago. They think Jesse might've gotten jealous and that's why he took him. The police have been looking for this kid for weeks now, but he knows how to get around. The parents just want their baby back.” 

“I see,” Gabriel said, his face as unreadable as ever. 

Jack leaned back in his chair and covered his face with his hands. “It's hard Gabe. These kids all have really difficult and complex childhoods. His foster parents say he's a compulsive liar and needs to get proper help. They don't want to press charges since they consider him a part of their family, but I don't think his upbringing can excuse this one. The authorities aren't going to let something like this slide. There's kidnapping, child endangerment, possible child neglect...” he ticked the charges off on his fingers. “You want the best for these kids, y'know, but you can't save them all.” 

Gabriel nodded slowly. “I understand Jack.” 

They both stood and Jesse took a quick and silent step back, his heart beating hard against his chest. He caught eyes with Gabriel after the man rose from his seat and they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. 'They're lying', he wanted to say, but his instinct was to run. Whether or not his body was going to listen to him was another story. 

“Wait Jack!” Gabriel said quickly as the blonde started to turn towards the door. 

Jack looked at Gabriel with what Jesse could imagine was confusion, and Gabriel quickly pulled him closer by the waist. “We haven't seen each other since school and you're going to leave just like that?” 

Jesse's brows furrowed. He couldn't run because Jack would hear him, but he didn't know what other options he had. Not to mention he was shaking so bad he felt like he'd trip and fall as soon as he tried to move. 

Jack looked down and his entire demeanor seemed to change. “Gabe...” he trailed off, his voice lower than it had been moments before. “I'm not a boomerang. You can't keep throwing me away and expecting me to come back.” 

“I know,” Gabriel said. “I made a mistake.” He cradled Jack's face in his hand and glanced briefly at Jesse. “Amélie and I weren't right for each other. I was struggling...with accepting myself...and our relationship.” He brushed his fingers through Jack's hair and pulled him into a deep kiss. 

Jesse made a face and shuffled awkwardly backwards. Gabriel set him with a fiery look and gestured him back towards the guest room. He understood almost immediately after that and hurried past them to the guest room. 

“Weird,” he whispered fiercely to Clint. “That was so weird-” He looked around the room with wild eyes and tried to figure a way out of it. “I'm sorry Clint. I'm so sorry. I'll figure it out for us, okay? I'll make this right again.” Clint babbled and Jesse shushed him lightly. “Shh, shh, we have to stay quiet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no......
> 
> it's not what you think.....


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel "I can't stop adopting stray children" Reyes
> 
> I feel like I do this every time I post a chapter but I really, really want to thank everyone who's reading/comment/kudosing. This story has a really special place in my heart for so many reasons and it makes me incredibly happy so many of you are enjoying it! Every time I receive a new comment my heart starts racing with excitement and I'm truly overjoyed by everything you guys have to share with me!!
> 
> This semester has been especially hard on me for many reasons and writing this fanfic has been a big help in keeping my sanity at least marginally in tact, hahah. But I'd just be shouting into the void without all you wonderful readers! Hahah
> 
> (Also I just realized I didn't tag any of the characters.....)
> 
> Anyway, sorry for rambling! On with the chapter. <3

It was a strange thing for Gabriel to be holding his ex lover in his arms again. Their break-off had been more his fault than Jack's, and less to do with a lack of love than a lack of self-confidence. Jack was the first man he'd ever been with and when things started to get too serious between them, he panicked and left. That was when he met Amélie. They'd gotten married after dating for two months, because she needed a green card and he needed to reestablish his masculinity and they'd thought they were in love. It felt stupid now that he was older and knew better. He'd had enough time to realize that being bisexual had nothing to do with his masculinity and had since had casual encounters, both male and female, but it was never anything serious. 

From the beginning of his relationship with Amélie, Gabriel knew that they weren't meant to last forever. They enjoyed each other's company and, yes, maybe they were soulmates in some way, but in the end they were too similar and butt heads too often.

Jack, though, might have been the one. He felt his heart banging against the inside of his chest as they kissed. It was partly Jack's impossibly blue eyes and partly his fear for Jesse. 

“Jack,” Gabriel started. “I have a lot of work to do. I'm behind on this case I'm working on...but I'd really like it if we could sit and talk sometime soon. Over drinks maybe?” 

Jack looked hesitant. “Gabe...” 

“I know, I know,” Gabriel said. “If anything let me at least offer you a proper apology.” 

Jack's eyes trailed off to one side and he let out a breath. “Fine.”

Gabriel felt the faintest stirrings of hope inside his chest. He had to make sure Jesse was okay first, but was reluctant to part ways with Jack. “I'm sorry for kissing you suddenly. I don't know what came over me.” 

Jack chuckled at that and rubbed the back of his head. He didn't say anything for or against the kiss, but Gabriel was too focused on the redness blossoming across his face to listen anyway. He loved how easily the blonde's pale cheeks could light up. It was almost hypnotizing. He mentally berated himself and placed a heavy hand on Jack's shoulder. “If I have any information that can help you, I'll let you know.” 

“Thanks Gabe. I just want to make sure Jesse and Clint are safe. We might be able to make a good case for the judge so his sentence is lightened, but with his previous record, no matter how small the charges were, they might not send him back to juvie,” Jack paused for a moment with a troubled expression. “He might have to do real time, Gabe. He's still so young.” 

“Don't worry Jack,” Gabriel said. “I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding.” At least he hoped it was. He trusted Jack, and Jesse was just some kid he'd met the day before. As a lawyer, he could usually get a good read on people and the kid didn't seem malicious by any means. He'd have to try and delicately coax the whole story out of him. 

“We can only hope so,” Jack said, but Gabriel could see how exhausted he looked. He let his hands linger on the man's waist, then slowly slid them away. 

“I'm glad you came to see me,” Gabriel said. 

Jack smiled, but it wasn't convincing. “Me too,” he said. “I'll see you Gabe.” 

Gabriel let him out and leaned agains the door as soon as he was gone. “Jesus H. Christ.” He waited a few moments so he could catch his breath, then called, “Jesse you can come out now!” 

A few moments passed, so he figured Jesse was either still shaken or hadn't heard him, so he yelled again. “Jesse! Jack's gone, you can come out!” Still nothing. He clenched and unclenched his fists, his nerves flaring. “Jesse?” 

He walked to the guest room door to find it shut, but unlocked. When he opened the door, the room appeared to be empty. “Jesse?” The panic was settling in, but the boy could've easily been hiding. He checked the bathroom and closet, then under the bed, and moved on to more ridiculous places (like the armoire). It wasn't until he'd searched for several minutes that his attention finally went to the open window. It was a few moments after that that he realized Jesse's stuff was gone. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together, but Gabriel's brain didn't want to believe it.

He strode to the window and looked down the fire escape. No Jesse in sight. “Dammit!” He yelled, slamming his fist hard against the window sill. The windows rattled and he paced back and forth, washing his hands across his face as he tried to think. Where would he go? Where _could_ he go that people weren't already looking for him? Jack said he was slippery, but his luck had to run out some time. He was easy to pinpoint enough with a baby in his arms. 

Gabriel strode into the living room and flipped open his phone, grabbing his coat at the same time. He called the number he'd programmed in his phone earlier that day that connected to Jesse's burner phone. It rang through with no answer. He tried again with the same result. Once he was at his car and getting ready to pull out of the garage he called a third time. This time the phone went straight to voicemail. Gabriel let out an agitated noise and tried a different number this time. An answer finally came after the fourth ring. 

“Hello?”

“Hey Hanzo, I'm sorry to bother you, I'm just wondering if you've seen Jesse in the last hour or so? It's an emergency.” 

“...No, I have not.” 

Hanzo wasn't an easy boy to read, but Gabriel trusted him. He was responsible, and it was unlikely he'd withhold information from one of his elders. “If you see him can you tell him I just want to talk?” 

“Yes, of course,” Hanzo said. “Is everything all right?” 

“Yeah,” Gabriel replied, though he was distracted with thoughts of where else Jesse might have gone. The only issue was, he didn't know much about the kid. “It should be okay. I just really need you to call me if you see him.” 

“I will let you know,” Hanzo said. 

“Thanks Hanzo. I'll talk to you later.” Gabriel hung up the phone and sat in the driveway for some time. He tried to imagine being in Jesse's shoes. Where would he go? What kind of networks would he be involved in? He decided his best bet for the moment was to drive around and see if he could spot him anywhere. He'd have to go from there.

Jack had given Gabriel a 'Missing Child's poster with Jesse and Clint's faces on it. Jesse looked miserable in his photo. Clint looked to be new born. Gabriel rubbed the bridge of his nose and started the car. 

After three hours of driving, he decided to continue on foot so he could ask around. He stopped his car on a relatively busy street next to a park and started pacing down the sidewalk. Everyone that passed him was met with the same series of questions, although some people were harder to stop than others. In the end it was always the same result: No one had seen Jesse or Clint. 

He walked for hours before reaching downtown and hoped he might be able to find a lead there. People were more willing to talk to him, and he finally got enough pieces to put a picture together. Jesse and Clint were seen downtown an hour before, but didn't seem to have much of a destination. It didn't look like they were headed anywhere in particular according to some of the people he'd stopped, and mostly he looked confused and scared. One woman had stopped Jesse, assuming he was lost, but he was short with her and hurried off shortly after she asked where he was headed. 

He was about to give up when a man grabbed his arm from behind. He turned quick on his heel and almost decked the guy, but managed to stop himself in time. He was glad he did because the guy looked younger for one, and was shadowed by a hulking man. 

“Oi, oi,” The kid said, hands up in defense. “Didn't mean to spook ya. I was just wondering if ya had a durrie I could mooch.” 

“A...wha-?” Gabriel eyed him, confused, and faced them fully. Both men were impossibly tall and were clearly transients, but seemed more or less harmless. 

“You know, a cigarette, a durrie. You got one?” 

Gabriel blinked and slowly shook his head. “No. I don't smoke anymore. Sorry.” 

The boy sighed longingly and grabbed the arm of the bigger man behind him, then started to pull him away. “It was worth a shot. C'mon Roadie.” 

“Wait,” Gabriel said before they could walk away. The blonde turned to him and perked up. “I'm looking for this boy. He should have a baby with him,” He held out the flier for them to look at. 

“OH!” the guy yelled, snatching the flier out of Gabriel's hands. “That's my brother!” He held the paper a bit closer and scrunched his face, then tilted his head. “Aww, look how big he is.” 

Gabriel's mouth flatlined. This guy was obviously a little touched. He plucked the flier back out of his hands and folded it back into his pocket. “Thanks anyway,” he said. 

The kid stepped in his path and cackled. “C'mon now, I'm being serious. That's my brother.” 

“I'm sure,” Gabriel responded humorlessly. 

“I'm Junkrat, he probably told you about me! This is my buddy Roadhog,” he shuffled along with Gabriel's skirting steps so the man couldn't move past him, and put his hands in his pockets to show he meant no harm. “I'm serious, I'm dead serious! Who're you? Did you adopt him? Did Jack quit? Are you his new case worker? Would make sense with all the sass Jess gave him.” He cackled again, but this time Gabriel stayed put. 

“I'm sorry?” 

“Yeah, you know. Jack? All american kinda guy – blonde hair, blue eyes, real serious all the time?” Junkrat tapped his chin and tried to think of a better explanation. “Ohh, y'know, you don't really look like a case worker. What're you lookin' for Jesse for anyway?” 

Gabriel stared at the two. He didn't know what the make of them, but he didn't have any other options. “I'm not his case worker. I'm...” he trailed off and tried to think of a decent enough explanation, then finished with, “I'm his friend.” 

“Friend huh?” Junkrat asked, squinting. “Okay okay, I approve. You're not a bad person. Right Roadie?” He slapped the man on the stomach and Roadhog nodded slowly. He didn't seem to be very talkative. “So why're you looking for my brother, then? Really?” 

“Like I said, I need to talk to him,” Gabriel said. “It's dangerous for him to be wandering the streets, especially with a baby, and-”

“He's got a baby with him?” Junkrat asked, squinting. 

“...Yes,” Gabriel said, showing him the flier again. “This is his son, Clint.” 

“Jesse's got a son!? No way! He's just a baby himself-” Junkrat folded his arms and hummed. “No wait. That's not his baby.” 

Gabriel could feel the irritation bubbling up in his stomach, but tried to remain patient. “If you were really his brother, wouldn't you know this already?” 

“Yeah yeah,” Junkrat waved his hand dismissively. “Oh – No. He's younger than me,” he said as if that explained it. 

“...So?” Gabriel prompted. 

“Yeah, so, he was only 14 when I got the boot,” Junkrat kicked his own boot to emphasize the action and then cackled again. 

Gabriel let out a slow, steady breath. “So that was a couple years ago? Have you talked to Jesse since then? Do you think he might have gone back to your parents?” 

Junkrat scrunched his nose. “Yeah we still see each other sometimes. Who? Oh, no, we don't have the same parents. My parents are dead.” 

Gabriel looked up and whispered, “Dios dame paciencia porque si me das fuerza lo mato,” under his breath. 

“Foster brothers,” Roadhog said, elaborating on behalf of Junkrat. 

“Oh,” Gabriel finally understood and was relieved to have some better insight. Too bad the big guy didn't seem too keen on talking any more than that. “So you're saying the baby isn't his?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Junkrat said. “No, uh, the baby is our foster mom's. Yeah, she had the baby. Hah, what's Jesse thinking? Stealing a baby? That's so weird. Oh wait...No,” he tapped his chin and squinted his eyes. “Maybe it is his baby. What'd the news say again?” 

“Oh my God,” Gabriel covered his face with his hands and took in a deep, shaking breath. It was so hard to keep the rage at bay with how little he was getting out of Junkrat. “So you did know about the baby?” 

“No,” Junkrat said. “I mean yeah, I saw it on the news. Saw my foster parents. They were acting all weepy.” He laughed and elbowed Roadhog like there was some inside joke Gabriel wasn't getting.

“Look,” Gabriel said. “I just need to know if you know where he might have gone. Anywhere. Places he likes to hang out, or people he might know?”

“Yeah, of course, anything you'd like. I'll give you the mate's rate.” Junkrat tapped him on the shoulder, then pointed to a liquor store. “A pack of durries. That's all I need.” 

Gabriel shook his head, his heart beating hard in his chest with the exertion of internalizing his anger. “Alright. Give me one minute.” 

He bought a bottle of baby aspirin while he was at it and popped one into his mouth, hoping it might keep his heart from exploding. He slapped the pack into Junkrat's hands and waited as he lit one up. 

“What was the question?” Junkrat asked, furrowing his eyebrows. 

Gabriel grabbed him by the collar, but Roadhog's hand engulfed his wrist and the tight pressure threatened to break it. He loosened his grip and Roadhog followed suit. “Tell me anything you know about where Jesse might be or who he might be with,” he ground out. 

“Oh! Yeah. I know exactly where he'd be. Well, maybe, but it's your best bet to try there.” 

Gabriel waited and when Junkrat didn't answer, he exploded. “WHERE!?” 

“What?” 

“Where is Jesse!?” 

“Where?” 

“YES.” 

“Huh...?” Junkrat stared, his eyes growing wider and wider. “Where's what?” 

“Jesse,” Gabriel stressed. 

Junkrat stared blankly at him for several seconds, then turned and began walking down the sidewalk away from both Roadhog and Gabriel. Gabriel looked at the larger of the two, dumbfounded, and held his hands palms-up to silently ask for an explanation. 

Roadhog's eyes followed the boy, then he looked up and said, “Oh.” He turned and strode to him. Gabriel followed suit with agitated steps. “Can you ask him? Can you make him tell me? I just need to know. These kid's lives could be at risk,” Gabriel said urgently. 

The large man ignored him and reached out, wrapping one thick arm around Junkrat's waist just as he slumped forward. Roadhog slowly laid him down on the concrete on his side as his body began convulsing spastically. Gabriel was at a loss for words. What in the ever living Hell was happening? “Is he okay?” he asked. It was a stupid question, and he knew it, but the situation had suddenly turned so far away from him. 

“Seizure,” Roadhog said. He stared at the analogue watch on his wrist and kept time. 

Gabriel pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I'm calling an ambulance,” he said, but Roadhog grabbed his arm to stop him. He shook his head slowly. “He's having a seizure! Shouldn't he-” 

“No,” Roadhog said. “Expensive.” 

Gabriel didn't know anything about treating seizures, but it seemed serious. He was still debating what to do a minute or two later when Junkrat's body suddenly relaxed. He didn't move and for a moment Gabriel was afraid he was dead. Could a seizure kill you? He had no idea. Roadhog helped him into a sitting position and scooped a finger through his mouth to clear his airway free of bloody saliva. 

“Christ,” Gabriel said. “...Is he okay?” 

Roadhog nodded, then pointed at his own mouth. “Bit his tongue.” Junkrat was slowly beginning to regain consciousness, but he still seemed out of it. 

“I still need to ask him some questions about Jesse,” Gabriel said. “Will he be okay soon?” 

Roadhog shrugged.

Gabriel rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Would it help if he had somewhere more comfortable to rest? Do you guys have an apartment or something?” 

The large man didn't say anything and Gabriel took that as a no. He debated in his head for a long time before stating his offer. “We can bring him to my apartment and he can rest. I'll make you guys dinner. I really need this information.” 

Roadhog also seemed reluctant but he looked at Junkrat who kept bobbing his head in an attempt to lift it. After making his decision, he scooped Junkrat up in his arms and silently waited for Gabriel to lead the way. 

\----

Junkrat couldn't stay awake long enough to give Gabriel a straight answer and the man didn't want to overwhelm or overexert him, so he let him rest on the couch for a good long while. 

It was a couple of hours before the blonde was finally able to respond clearly and once he did he told Gabriel that Jesse liked to hang out at a dingy little coffee house near the Garment District. It made sense. The place was crowded and relatively safe for being downtown with the added addition of having many nooks and crannies to hide in. 

“The Garment District closes down around 7 though,” Junkrat said. “Then it's just the locals roaming around.”

“I gave him money earlier so he could spend time with my coworker's son,” Gabriel mused. “Maybe he'll get a motel...God I hope so.” He didn't want to imagine Jesse and Clint sitting alone and scared on the streets. Not to mention this Autumn was particularly chilly. “I'm gonna keep looking downtown,” he said. “My ex-wife and her fiance are gonna be here soon to stay with you guys. They're bringing dinner, too. Thank you for giving me that information.”

Junkrat gave him a hazy smile, then laid his head back down. Roadhog walked over and pushed Junkrat's legs up, then sat down and replaced the blonde's legs over his lap. 

Amélie, who didn't approve of Gabriel's idea[s] at all, arrived ten minutes later. She looked disapproving, but he assumed if she actually disapproved she wouldn't be helping him. Lena followed after her and wished Gabriel good luck after giving him a loud clap on the back. 

“Thanks Lena,” Gabriel said. “And thank you Amélie.” 

Amélie relinquished a sigh and rolled her eyes. “As I have said, Gabe, you are a bleeding hearted man. You need to learn to become more callous.” 

“Amélie!” Lena gasped, slapping her lightly on the arm. “Don't teach him that. You're doing really great work, love.” She directed the last bit at Gabriel.

Gabriel smiled and waved to them both. “I'll call you when I'm on my way back home.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think being half asleep and editing something you wrote while half asleep kind of defeats the purpose, but here we are...
> 
> I've gotten some offers from you lovely lovely readers about possibly beta-ing and I really appreciate it! But I forget a lot and also I'm very impatient....
> 
> Anyway thanks for reading and all that as usual!! I hope you enjoy. I hope this is coherent, blah blah, you know the drill.

Jesse's first instinct was to go it alone. He'd gone this long without anyone else's help, he could probably figure something out. Gabriel had given him fifty dollars so he and Hanzo could do whatever they wanted that day, but he'd only ended up spending six. He could afford a motel room, but they wouldn't let a teenager check in alone. What's more, his face was probably plastered all over the news and he couldn't risk someone calling the cops on him. 

He only had one option left (short of sleeping behind a dumpster) but it was risky. He looked at the burner phone Gabriel had given him and let out a nervous breath. There were three emergency contacts already programmed in: Amélie, Gabriel, and Hanzo. He dialed the latter and waited. 

“Hello, this is Hanzo Shimada speaking.”

“Uh...Hey Hanzo, it's Jesse.” His own voice sounded foreign to him, or far away. “I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor.” 

“Yes of course,” Hanzo said. “Does Mr. Reyes need a hand with something?” 

“No,” Jesse said. “Gabriel can't know about this.” 

“...Okay.” 

“Promise me?” Jesse held his breath, and waited what felt like an eternity for a response. 

“I promise,” Hanzo replied. 

“I want to rent a room at this motel, but I can't because I'm not 18. Me and Clint need a place to stay tonight, so...uh, I know it's a lot to ask, but I was kinda hopin' you'd be willing to check in for us?” He bit his lip after asking, his face burning red with guilt. Again, it felt like an eternity before Hanzo finally answered. 

“Where are you now, Jesse?” 

“We're downtown. It's a coffee shop called The Bean Counter on Avenue G...I really appreciate your help, Hanzo. And I'm sorry,” Jesse looked down at Clint and reminded himself he was doing it for him. No amount of pride could stop him from doing what was best for his baby. 

“I am happy to help you,” Hanzo said. “I will be there soon.”

As soon as he hung up, Jesse sank down in his chair and sighed. “A room will at least buy us some time,” he whispered to Clint. “I can figure out a way to make money,” he wiggled his fingers in Clint's face and smiled when the baby reached for them. “I've done it before I can do it again.” Only now it was different because he had a baby to look after. 

He was starting to doze off by the time his phone rang. The caller I.D. said Hanzo, so he gathered up his things and walked outside. The man had pulled up in the same fancy car as before and Jesse was a bit reluctant to get inside, only because of how much attention it was drawing. He swallowed and quickly slipped into the passenger seat, praying no one paid any attention to him. 

“It's good to see ya again, Hanzo,” Jesse greeted. 

“You as well, Jesse,” Hanzo replied. He started the car and they sat in an awkward silence. Jesse was waiting for Hanzo to ask, and Hanzo was waiting for Jesse to tell. 

“Sorry this is all so sudden,” Jesse muttered. 

“Did something happen with Mr. Reyes?” 

“No no! Nothing like that. I mean, not exactly. Uh. It's really...a long story.” Jesse stroked some of Clint's hair back and then leaned his own head back against the seat's headboard. 

Hanzo hummed in recognition, then went quiet again. 

Jesse jumped when Hanzo's phone suddenly went off and he watched the man stare at the caller ID before answering. “Hello?” It was someone Hanzo already knew, so it must have been Gabriel.

“...No I have not.” 

Jesse bit his lip. It had to be Gabriel. Shame tugged at his chest when he realized Hanzo was lying on his behalf. 

“Yes, of course. Is everything all right?” 

Silence as Hanzo listened. 

“I will let you know.” 

Jesse didn't ask, since he didn't really need to, and Hanzo didn't seem intent on repeating what Jesse already knew. 

Neither of them spoke to each other for the rest of the ride, but Clint's little babbles filled the silence. Checking into the hotel was easier than Jesse had expected, and when Hanzo came back he told him he'd paid for an entire week. The sentiment nearly brought Jesse to tears, but it also scared him. What did he have to do in return for the kindness? He pushed that thought to the back of his mind and let Hanzo lead them to the room. It wasn't anything to write home about, but at least the motel wasn't a horror show. It had a bed and a bathroom, and that's all Jesse really cared about. 

“Do you need anything else?” Hanzo asked. 

Jesse shook his head. “Thank you Hanzo.” It took him a long moment of summoning courage, but he managed to force out, “Can you stay a little longer?” The older boy gave him an odd look, and he waited for Jesse to elaborate. “Uh,” Jesse said. “It would be really nice if you stayed.” 

Hanzo eyed him and said, quietly, “Okay.” 

Clint started getting fussy shortly after they settled in, so Jesse laid one of his baby blankets on the bed and set him on his belly. “He likes being on his belly,” he told Hanzo. He lined up an array of toys for Clint to grab at and gnaw on while he prepared a bottle. 

“How old is he?” Hanzo asked, watching the baby swat at a small rubber ring. 

“He's four months,” Jesse said. 

“Is it hard to care for him?” 

Jesse thought about the question for a long minute. “Yeah,” he admitted. “My foster mom took care of him when we were still living there-” he paused and looked at Hanzo with wide eyes, afraid he might mention too much offhandedly. “But, uh, anyway, I think I have the hang of it. He's an insanely good baby. He used to cry all the time, but now he only gets fussy when he's hungry. Maybe he didn't like living at home either.” Jesse laughed but Hanzo didn't, which made him a little self-conscious. 

He'd learned early on that Hanzo didn't really say much to begin with, but it still felt disconcerting. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and make Hanzo hate him, but he hadn't seemed to really upset him yet. Not to mention Hanzo opened up to him in a big way earlier that day which had to mean something. He picked Clint back up and sat on the uncomfortable canvas couch next to Hanzo. “Do you wanna try and feed him?” he asked. 

Hanzo's brows furrowed and his hands moved like he might deny the offer. “I do not know how. I would not want to upset him,” he said. 

Jesse chuckled at Hanzo's hesitance. “He won't mind. He'll just be happy to be eating something.” 

Hanzo seemed to mull it over, but moments later he was carefully plucking Clint from Jesse's arms. “He is lighter than I imagined.” 

“It's crazy right? Okay, now hold him like this, and just hold up the bottle for him like this.” 

Hanzo nodded and took the bottle, holding it how Jesse had showed him. Clint relaxed in Hanzo's arms and his eyes grew heavier and heavier as he drank. 

“He's gonna be out cold,” Jesse said. “I don't think he got a chance to take a nap today...I wish I could get him on a normal sleeping schedule, but...y'know...it's difficult, considering the circumstances.” 

Hanzo's eyes slid to him and his mouth quirked like he wanted to ask something, but it seemed to take a bit of inner-monologuing before he drew up enough courage. “What are your circumstances Jesse?” 

Jesse didn't expect Hanzo to ask him that with how reserved he was. He wanted to tell the man his situation, but he couldn't risk the backlash if Hanzo didn't take it so well. “Oh you know,” he started vaguely. “Stupid kid knocks some chick up and suffers the consequences – Well I wouldn't call Clint a consequence.”

“Where is she now?” Hanzo asked. 

“I don't know,” Jesse lied. 

“How did you end up with Clint?” 

“She left.”

Hanzo hummed. “Why did you leave your foster family?” He must have sensed Jesse's tension, because he added, “If you do not mind my asking,” after a short pause. 

“My foster dad couldn't give my foster mom a baby so she wanted mine,” Jesse said, eyeing Clint as if he'd suddenly disappear. It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. There was more to it than the meager glimpse he'd given, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to delve that far into the intricate dynamic between him and his foster parents. It was hard to keep shoving his emotions down, but he knew he had to keep swallowing them or they'd eat him alive. 

Hanzo seemed to understand. “You were afraid of her raising your child, so you decided to take him and leave.” 

“Yeah,” Jesse said. “She would hardly even let me near him. It made me so angry. I may not have known exactly what I was doing, but I wasn't going to leave him with her.” 

“I think you made the right choice,” Hanzo said. 

Jesse perked up. “Really?”

“It seems like there were not many options. You are very lucky to have come across Mr. Reyes. He is a good man, I am sure he will help you keep custody of your son, no matter what your foster mother says.” 

_If only it was that easy_ , Jesse thought, but he appreciated the sentiment. 

\----

Clint fell asleep during his feeding, so Jesse carefully took him out of Hanzo's arms and laid him back on his blanket on the bed. He made sure to lay him on his back, then sat stiffly back on the couch. Neither of them knew what to say, so an awkward silence stretched on. Despite how uncomfortable it was, it was oddly warm. He felt almost normal. 

“So uh,” Jesse said just to break the silence. “I didn't know Gabriel, was, uh...” he second-guessed himself half way through the sentence, realizing it was weird to bring up out of nowhere. Hanzo was giving him a quizzical look though, so he was forced to continue. “You know, uh, g-gay.” It's not like he himself wasn't gay. He wasn't sure why he had to say it like a nervous twelve year old, stutter and all. 

Hanzo's brows quirked and fixed Jesse with an intent stare. Crap. Jesse realized he'd made a mistake and clenched his fists as his palms began to sweat. “Since you know...he was married to Amélie...wasn't he? I thought - I guess maybe that would make him bi or something, but...”

Hanzo opened his mouth, and closed it. Then opened it, and closed it again. Maybe he'd read the man all wrong. He thought he might have maybe had a sliver of a chance, but the situation was becoming more disheartening by the second. 

“It was just, you know, kind of uh, reassuring I guess, because, you know, I'm...like that.” Oh God he sounded like a freaking idiot. “You know. Because I'm gay.” He was fumbling over his own idiotic words. Why couldn't he just form a simple sentence like a normal human being. It was never this hard in the past! Maybe it was because he really wanted Hanzo to like him, something he'd never expected or desired from anyone else. 

Hanzo's face softened but he didn't speak for a long time. Jesse was afraid the gentler expression was simply pity, until the other replied, “I am relieved to hear that.” 

Jesse didn't know if Hanzo meant he was relieved about him being gay or Gabriel being gay, or whatever else might've been said in the time it took Jesse to clear his memories of the last painfully embarrassing fives minutes, but he was happy nonetheless. 

Hanzo didn't offer Jesse any insight into his own sexuality (which was a little disappointing) but they quickly switched to lighter topics. Eventually neither of them had much else to say so they settled on watching a movie. Nothing good was on, so they were forced to keep it on an old rerun of The Nanny. 

Neither of them were really watching the show, but they weren't talking either. It wasn't awkward, but it wasn't exactly comfortable. There was a tension in the air, like they were both repressing some serious hormones. Jesse knew he was, at least. 

He also knew he still had to address the money he now owed Hanzo for the rooms. At 39 dollars a night, the total came to nearly 300 dollars. All in all it was a lot of money. “Uhm,” Jesse started. “Thanks again for helping me and Clint out with the room.” 

Hanzo looked at him, then looked back down at the floor. “It is my pleasure.” 

Jesse's heart was hammering against his chest. He didn't exactly feel confident in what he was about to do, but he knew it had to be done. “How can I, uhm, repay you? I don't have any money...obviously...” 

Hanzo quickly looked at him again. Jesse was sure he'd seen that odd and quizzical look on Hanzo's face now more than any other expression. “It was a gift. I do not expect you to pay me back.” 

“I don't want your charity,” Jesse said, putting his hand on Hanzo's leg. Hanzo recoiled from the touch and Jesse followed suit, surprised at the reaction. Damn. Maybe he had misread everything. He'd taken a wrong turn and now there was no going back. 

“What are you doing?” Hanzo asked. 

“Nothing,” Jesse said, his face burning hot with shame. “Forget it – I was just messing around. I'm sorry.” He stood up and started to pace away, but Hanzo grabbed his wrist. Jesse became paralyzed by the firm grip, but as Hanzo's hand relaxed so did he. 

“I trust you Jesse. I want you to feel like you can trust me.” 

Jesse wasn't sure what he'd done to earn Hanzo's trust, but he wasn't complaining either. His thoughts momentarily flipped back to Hanzo and Gabriel talking in the kitchen and his first instinct was that this was all a clever ploy. He tried to drown the thought out by focusing on the concerned furrow of Hanzo's brow. “I didn't mean to make things weird. I'm really, really sorry Hanzo.” 

“You do not need to apologize, Jesse,” Hanzo said. “I just want to know what you were doing.” 

Jesse wanted to lie, but Hanzo had been nothing but truthful to him. It didn't seem fair the man should suffer some half-baked falsehood when he was going out on a limb like this. “I...” Jesse couldn't find the right words. When was the last time he'd opened up fully to someone? He couldn't remember. “Don't I owe you? Since you're helping me...?” 

“You do not owe me anything.” Hanzo turned Jesse's hand palm-up and rubbed the inside of his wrist with his thumb. “You deserve to feel safe. Your baby deserves to be warm. This is not charity and it is not a debt. I am helping you as a friend.” 

Jesse was only vaguely aware of the fact that they were moving through the room, matching each other step for step. He didn't know where they were going, or if Hanzo knew either. It was inconsequential. He exhaled a breathy laugh and looked away, “We've only known each other for a couple of days.” He jolted suddenly as his back pressed lightly against a wall. Hanzo wasn't crowding him, but Jesse wished he was; He was about an arm's length away, but still rubbing the inside of his wrist as if to ease Jesse's racing pulse. 

They stayed like that for anywhere between five minutes and an hour. Time didn't seem to exist as he watched his own reflection in Hanzo's eyes. It seemed like an eternity of information was passed between them in just that one look. Hanzo's hand moved up to Jesse's arm and he stroked the skin with agonizing delicacy. Jesse's legs felt weak. “I do not want you to feel like you owe me anything, Jesse,” Hanzo said. 

“Okay,” Jesse replied, but he knew Hanzo wasn't 100% convinced. “I don't owe you anything.” There was a slight, impatient edge to his voice. He just wanted Hanzo to touch him more. 

Hanzo ghosted his hands just over Jesse's hips, but didn't touch him. “Is this alright?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Jesse said, quicker than he'd meant to. Hanzo raised an eyebrow and Jesse gave him a desperate look in response. “Hanzo.” 

Finally, Hanzo's hands made contact and he took a cautionary step forward. “Please tell me if you want to stop.” 

“I will, I will.” Jesse knew his impatience wasn't helping Hanzo feel any more reassured, but he couldn't help it. He had never felt a need this intense before. 

Once Hanzo closed the gap between them, Jesse felt like he could finally breathe. He couldn't remember if there was ever a time where someone else invading his personal bubble had felt like a breath of fresh air and not like noxious fumes. Jesse's hands slid slowly up Hanzo's chest until they were resting on his shoulders. The crisp fabric of the other's dress shirt felt smooth beneath his fingertips in contrast with his own heated skin. Blood was rushing in all directions and time seemed to slow down as Hanzo leaned in to kiss him. 

It was chaste at first, but not disappointing; On the contrary, Hanzo's conservative kiss felt hotter than any sloppy drunken makeout Jesse had experienced thus far. It went slow for awhile, which was both thrilling and torturous, but it slowly picked up until they were so flush together Jesse felt like they might melt into the wall. He knew it was greedy, but he wanted more. At the same time, he didn't want the moment to end. This weird liminal space was easily consuming Jesse – Soon it would spit him out and he'd be a new man. 

Jesse wasn't sure how long they'd carried on for but by the time Clint's fussing tore through the atmosphere they'd created for themselves, both boys were a panting ragged mess. “Oh, shit. I think Clint's hungry again.” He (very reluctantly) pulled away from Hanzo and drifted to the baby. “Hey Clint, don't fuss, it's okay.”

He turned his phone back on and found a litany of missed calls from Gabriel. The time read 3:50. He put the phone in a drawer so his guilt wouldn't stare him back in the face, then proceeded to feed Clint. 

Hanzo was making a bed of the couch, but Jesse stopped him. “Why don't you sleep on the bed?” he asked. 

Hanzo eyed him. “What about Clint?” 

“He'll be fine,” Jesse chuckled. “He doesn't take up much space, even when he tries to sprawl out.” 

“...I won't crush him?” Hanzo asked. 

Jesse smiled at that. “He'll be alright,” he said.

Hanzo and Jesse laid adjacent to one another with Clint in between them. Hanzo kept a good distance, afraid he might turn over in his sleep and crush Clint despite Jesse's assurances. Once they turned all the lights out Jesse carefully laced his fingers with Hanzo's. Hanzo gave him a reassuring squeeze in return.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is doing alright out there tonight. 
> 
> I'm completely dissociating at the state of events, so I'm sorry if this is somewhat incoherent. (I feel like I say that about a lot of these chapters hahah. I'm just a mess all the time always)
> 
> Here are some doodles I did from previous chapters: http://boyyprinceart.tumblr.com/post/152878737246/we-had-a-work-day-in-class-today-so-naturally-i
> 
> Stay strong everybody <3

Gabriel returned home sometime after three in the morning. He was exhausted and disheartened with no solid insight into Jesse or Clint's whereabouts. Coming home to a full house was shocking – he'd almost forgotten Amélie, Lena, Junkrat, and Roadhog were staying the night. Amélie knew her way around the house, so Roadhog had a bed made up on the living room floor. Junkrat was laying on the couch staring blankly at the ceiling and Gabriel assumed Amélie and Lena were asleep in the guest room. 

“Hey!” Junkrat shot up, and waved. Gabriel's finger instinctively went to his lips and he pointed at Roadhog who slept soundlessly on the floor. Junkrat regarded him with a tilted head, then made a dismissive gesture. “He's a heavy sleeper,” he said, jumping to his feet. 

Gabriel pointed to the kitchen and Junkrat bounced after him. “Did you find him? Well probably not or he'd be with you, huh? Unless you turned him in!” He laughed, then frowned. “Aww...no way. You didn't turn him in, did you?” 

Gabriel gave Junkrat an inscrutable look, then shook his head and started digging through the refrigerator. “I'm not going to turn him in. I just want him to come home.” 

Junkrat pulled himself onto the counter and pulled his legs up so he could rest his arms on his knees. “Home? He lives here? Did you adopt him or somethin? Oh! Are you his new case worker? Jack probably couldn't handle his sassiness.” He laughed again and Gabriel fixed him with another look. 

“...Didn't you already ask all this earlier?” 

“Earlier?” Junkrat looked up and scratched his chin. “Oooh, you must mean during my seizure. No,” he shook his hand. “I don't remember that. Roadie told me what happened but he didn't mention that.” 

Gabriel imagined the silent man probably hadn't mentioned much about Junkrat's episode. He took out some sandwich ingredients and began making himself dinner. “Have you always had seizures?” he asked. 

“Uhhh,” Junkrat looked up in thought and scrunched his face. “Since I was little. Maybe ten.” 

Gabriel nodded. “Want a sandwich?” he asked. 

Junkrat's eyes widened and he nodded vigorously. “Yes please!” 

“I didn't know you could, uh...develop seizures? I guess. I always thought it was something you were born with. I don't know a lot about the condition though. I hope I don't sound stupid.” 

“You don't sound stupid! Yeah, uh,” Junkrat scratched at a scar that started at the tip of his hairline and receded back into his scalp. It was almost invisible unless you were looking for it. “I fell out of a window. Dropped fifty feet and cracked my head open-” He clicked his tongue and flicked himself on the side of the head. “Bam. Post-Traumatic Epilepsy.” 

“You fell?” Gabriel asked. He didn't want to pry, but he couldn't shake his curiosity. The kid was a little hyperactive – he could've easily been playing on a fire escape and lost his footing or some other such accident. He decided keeping it vague was the best course of action. That way Junkrat could bypass an explanation if he needed to.  
“Well I didn't so much fall as my mum pushed me out the window. Not, uh, maliciously, though.” Junkrat rolled his wrist as if he was trying to consider his words. “She was having some kinda I dunno...episode and...” he trailed off, then made a gesture like he was pushing someone down. “Drug-fried brain and all that.” 

Gabriel handed him his sandwich, then leaned back against the kitchen counter. “That's terrible. I'm sorry.” 

Junkrat shrugged and started picking the crust off his bread. He popped the little bits in his mouth and swayed from side to side. “It's all I knew as a kid. Didn't bother me much, if we're bein' honest. Y'know things are a certain way since day one and you don't really question it. It's just the way things are.” 

That made more sense to Gabriel than Junkrat probably realized. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Growing up I had four younger siblings and a dad with a hair-trigger. He never hit my siblings unless they really made him angry. I was responsible for them. Their behavior, their grades, their well-being. I got in this mindset that being the older son meant baring the burden of martyrdom. My dad was ruthless, too. When I was maybe thirteen my little twin sisters were chasing each other around the house and they knocked over one of his expensive liquor bottles; Some kind of Brandy, maybe, I don't know. The bottle broke and the liquor spilled and he was livid. I was scared because I'd gotten a beating the night before too, so I tried to run away from him. He finally got ahold of me and started beating me with the cable he'd ripped out of the tv set from the living room.” 

“Did you get in trouble,” Junkrat asked, leaning on his hand with an intent expression. 

Gabriel quirked his brow. “What do you mean?” 

“Cus he had to break the tv?” 

It had occurred to Gabriel in his adulthood that victims of abuse were just fundamentally different from those who'd grown up in a healthy environment. They thought differently, prepared differently, reacted differently. He hadn't expected Junkrat to ask what he did because it seemed (to Gabriel) like the obvious thing to ask. He'd spent decades calibrating his own thoughts and reactions to something resembling 'normal' so people wouldn't grow suspicious. Amélie and Lena wouldn't think to ask a question like that because they didn't speak the same language he, Junkrat, and Jesse spoke. Junkrat's question had caught him off guard, so he didn't reply right away.

“Sorry...I didn't mean to ask something upsetting,” the boy said, drawing his knees closer to his chest so he could hide his face. 

“No,” Gabriel responded. “You're alright. Yeah, I got in trouble. He loved that tv.” 

Junkrat nodded solemnly and chewed on the skin of his thumb. He'd pick all the crust off his sandwich and set it aside on the counter. 

Gabriel watched him and his eyes naturally gravitated to the impressive prosthetic that replaced his arm. Junkrat caught his gaze, almost like he sensed him, and lifted it up to take a look. It was almost like he'd forgotten it was there. “I used to work in a warehouse when I was young. Like sixteen or seventeen. I was tossing some fiberboard in the baler and – snap – crushed my arm just like that.”

“Ouch,” Gabriel said, wincing. “Did you also lose your leg in a machinery accident too?” 

“Oh, no,” Junkrat snorted, rocking back and forth as he grew restless. “Blew that one off playing with fireworks. My foster parents were not happy. ...Either time. Got a pretty big settlement from the arm thing though. That's how I got these cool prosthetics.” He bent and unbent his elbow several times to demonstrate.

“So you at least have money, then?” Gabriel asked with a tinge of relief. At least Junkrat wasn't completely destitute. Maybe he just preferred nomadic living? It wasn't unheard of. 

“Nah,” Junkrat said, crushing Gabriel's brief theory. “My foster parents got it all since I was still a minor and they're the ones that sued. The company wasn't supposed to hire anyone under the age of eighteen, but it's not like it was supposed to be a dangerous job. It was child endangerment or whatever I guess. Just a freak accident.” 

Gabriel was seething underneath his calm demeanor. He bit into his sandwich just so he had something to take a bit of his aggression out on. He swore that Jesse and Junkrat's foster parents pray they never cross paths with him, because he was out for blood. “Speaking of your foster parents,” he said, keeping his voice even. “I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about Jesse's relationship with them. Anything at all might be able to help us find out where he went.” 

Junkrat grew reserved at the intrusion, but Gabriel couldn't step around the subject. He needed to find Jesse and ensure he and Clint were safe. “I don't know if Jesse...I dunno if I should...” He picked up the forgotten sandwich and looked away, distracting himself with little bites. 

Junkrat seemed oddly coherent now compared to how he was earlier. Gabriel wasn't sure if it was because he was rested and fed, or because of the seizure, or for some other reason and, either way, he had no idea how long it would last. “Anything, please. I just need some insight.” Junkrat still wasn't responsive, so Gabriel tried another angle. “If you're comfortable,” he said carefully. “Can you at least tell me some of your experiences? I might be able to help Jesse's case if I can prove him taking Clint and running away were a result of abuse.” 

Junkrat glanced up at him and shifted positions. He kind of reminded Gabriel of a monkey with his long gangly limbs and strange posture. “If I tell you you can help him?” he asked. 

“I can try,” Gabriel said. “I wish I could promise you, but all I can do is try.” 

Junkrat chewed his bottom lip and stared listlessly at the floor for an incredible amount of time. Gabriel almost considered giving up before he spoke. “I thought they were really nice at first. And in a lotta ways, they were. I was 14 when they first got me. I moved to America with my Aunt who took me in after I was taken away from my mum. My aunt...” he sighed longingly and leaned back against the cupboard, his hands stuffed in the pocket of his sweater. “She was a real piece of work. Sweet, sweet lady. I loved her more than anything. Real depressed though...” he trailed off again, as if he was remembering something, then suddenly snapped back into the conversation. 

“She killed herself a year later-” 

Gabriel blinked, surprised at the sudden turn, but continued listening. 

“-and that's how I ended up with my foster mum and dad. Didn't have any other family, so...” he trailed off again and then shrugged. “Anyway, things were real nice at first. They were kind to me, and uh, patient, I guess, while I adjusted. But that only lasted a couple of months. I was a really hyperactive kid, and uh, I still am I guess, so, uh, they didn't like that too much. And my seizures started getting more frequent. They didn't like that either. It was a burden, I guess.” He crossed his arms and stopped talking, but his explanation wasn't really getting Gabriel anywhere.

“Uhhmm,” Junkrat ran one hand slowly down his face, then pulled at his bottom eyelid with his pinky before letting it fall further. Once it was to his mouth, he sucked it in and started chewing. He was really, really fidgety, is what Gabriel concluded. “She'd yell at me a lot. If I was being bad.”

'What constituted being 'bad'?” Gabriel asked. 

“You know, like, being too loud or rowdy. Gave her migraines or something. I told her I was afraid of the closet, so she started using it as a punishment.”

Gabriel cocked an eyebrow. “Why were you afraid of the closet?”

“When my mum would shoot up she'd put me in the closet so I wouldn't have to see. She thought it helped, I guess, but it just freaked me out. She'd make all these weird noises. Sometimes it sounded like she was being murdered, with all the thumping and screaming and whatnot. Anyway I told my foster mum once when she asked me to grab a coat, and after that she started throwing me in there if I did something she didn't like.” Junkrat pulled both his feet up on the counter again and leaned forward. He began chewing nervously on his sweater draw-strings. 

“What were the kinds of things she didn't like?” 

“Uh,” Junkrat thought hard. “Running, jumping, yelling, talking too much, bothering her, getting in the way, breaking into the cupboards-” 

Gabriel held up a hand to stop him. “What do you mean breaking into the cupboards?” 

“Oh, I would, uh, steal food,” Junkrat leaned further forward and began swaying again. “So they put locks on everything. So I wouldn't take it and hide it. Cus I did that a lot, I guess.”

“From your own home?” Gabriel asked. 

“Well, I guess.” 

Gabriel felt terrible making Junkrat dredge all this back up, but he had to know how bad it was. “Okay, go on.” 

“The scariest closet times were when she threw me in there during a seizure. Sometimes I'd come to but didn't remember being thrown in there. It was dark and cramped and-” he stopped as an involuntary shudder wracked his body. “I hate closets.” 

“Did they feed you?” Gabriel asked. 

“I guess.” 

Junkrat's 'uhms' and 'I guesses' weren't assuring, but Gabriel understood he was still working through the trauma. From the sound of it, he still didn't understand just how bad it was. Gabriel, however, understood that he wasn't a therapist and couldn't trust himself with helping the kid's mental state. He made a mental note to check into that later. Maybe he could ask Jack. 

“Did she do the same to Jesse?” Gabriel asked. 

Junkrat cackled and vigorously shook his head. “Jesse didn't get closet time. He was too good. The golden child, pretty much. Real shy, or, uh, maybe he wasn't shy.” He scratched his chin and scrunched his face. “Mm...he had his own stuff though.” 

Gabriel squinted. “What do you mean 'his own stuff'?” 

Junkrat's eyes widened and he shook his head. “Huh?” 

That was the end of the conversation, and Gabriel knew it. There was no use trying to push Junkrat further and risk losing his trust. “You should get some sleep, kid. We'll figure out what we're gonna do in the morning, okay?” 

Junkrat finished off his sandwich and nodded, then hopped off the counter. 

\----

“Amélie, I don't know what to do.” The morning was cold and gloomy. A perfect reflection of how Gabriel was feeling. “These kids need someone to look after them. I can't just send them back to the streets and forget about them.” He templed his finger over his nose and sighed. 

“They are strangers, Gabriel. You cannot just trust people so blindly. They are not your problem.” Amélie was sorting papers at her desk. She wasn't focusing on Gabriel as she spoke, and her tone was apathetic at best. 

“If not me then who, Amélie?” 

“Someone who is not you,” she said simply, smirking.

“Amélie it's not a joke.” Gabriel sat across from her and pulled the papers from her hands. She looked at him and frowned. 

“It is not a fairytale, either. You take these boys in, they rob you blind, and then what?”

“They wouldn't.” 

“You do not know that. Not everyone is as good as you, Gabriel. I know people are slow to trust you because you look like you can crush their skulls with your thighs alone, but you cannot just deote yourself to the first kids that appeal to your good-natured side. Perhaps they will take advantage of your kindness.” 

“They wouldn't.” 

“You do not know that!” 

“I do, Amélie. Not everyone's going to screw you over like your father did. Loving someone unconditionally isn't a weakness. Trusting people isn't going to kill you, especially not a couple of kids who weren't given any other options.” 

Amélie fixed Gabriel with a fierce look. “My father is not the reason I do not trust in unconditional love.” 

Gabriel's mouth quirked and his jaw set. He looked away from her and she snatched the papers back out of his hands. They sat in silence for the next half hour, until Amélie broke it with: “Si vous aimez quelqu'un libérez-le. Si il ne revient pas, il ne l'a jamais été.” 

Gabriel rubbed his eyes with the tips of his fingers and sighed. “English please.” 

“If you love someone set them free. If he comes back he is yours; if he does not come back he never was.” 

That wasn't what Gabriel wanted to hear, but he was happy Amélie was coming around. At least maybe she was. Maybe was good enough for him with her. They were both way too stubborn. 

There was a knock at the door moments later and Hanzo walked into the room with a stack of papers for Gabriel to review. “These documents are regarding the Milner case. They want to try and mitigate the charges-” He began flipping through the pages, explaining a few key-points his father had highlighted. 

“Have you heard from Jesse at all?” Gabriel asked once Hanzo was done explaining. 

Hanzo was quiet at first, but shook his head. “I apologize, Mr. Reyes. I have not heard from him.” 

Gabriel eyed him for awhile, then leaned on his hand. “Tell your father I'll deal with the mitigation.” He took the papers and sullenly looked them over, but couldn't seem to make himself focus.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I just have to gush again. Thanks again everyone for all of your fantastic, amazing, insightful comments. Every single one of you are what gives me life and inspiration to continue this fic! 
> 
> Right now I seriously can't focus my eyes because my body is trying to force me to sleep, otherwise I'd say so much more!! But seriously, thank you so much for reading, commenting, and enjoying this story. You all mean so much to me! ^u^
> 
> This chapter is a bit shorter because I won't have time to write in the next few days and I want to get it up. :)

Not a day went by that Gabriel didn't ask Hanzo about Jesse. Some days, Hanzo worried that the man knew and was waiting for him to tell the truth. Other days, it seemed like it was just a desperate grasp in the dark. Either way the lying was starting to stress him out. Hanzo was notoriously good at hiding his emotions, but he also had a tendency to grow cold and lash out when the stress ran too deep. He was already short with his father earlier that morning when the man was demanding why he was out so often lately. 

He let out a calming breath and knocked on the motel room door. It was a secret knock he had made up to ease Jesse's nerves. There was a pause still before the door actually opened, but Jesse's smile seemed to melt all his anxieties. “How are you?” he asked, setting a couple paper bags on the dresser. 

Jesse closed the door and secured all the locks. “I'm good. Just bored. This tv only gets like ten channels. I liked listening to the rain outside though. It really feels like Fall.” He seemed more relaxed now than Hanzo had ever seen him. They hadn't known each other long, but it made him happy regardless. “What's in the bags?” 

“Dinner,” Hanzo said. “As usual, but I brought some other things as well.” He sifted through the bags and pulled out a laptop and some movies. Jesse moved from the bed where he was sitting with Clint and walked over. 

“Oh wow! Seven Men From Now, where'd you even find this relic?” He laughed and set it back down, then sifted through the other movies. 

“I saw this at the store, I thought you might like it.” Hanzo handed him a plain white book and went back to setting up their meal. 

“Baby sign language?” Jesse flipped through the pages and scanned the images and explanations. He blinked and looked up at Hanzo. “What is this?” 

“You can teach Clint to communicate through sign language before he can speak. That way you will understand him better.”

Jesse's eyes widened and he flipped through the book more fervently. “Babies can do that!?” He looked at Clint as if he was appraising him, then nodded in approval. “Wow. Babies are so smart. Aren't you Clint?” Clint cooed and reached forward to grab Jesse's hair. 

Hanzo smiled slightly at the two of them and pulled Jesse's chair out for him. “I told my father I was going to my friend's house to study, so I was able to pack leftovers from tonight's dinner. It is Okinawa Soba. I hope you enjoy it.” 

“I reckon I'd enjoy just about anything at this point,” Jesse said with a laugh. Hanzo quirked a brow at him with an amused smile and Jesse gave him a confused stare. “What's the matter?” 

“I have never heard you say something like that. 'Reckon'.” 

Jesse turned red and looked away. “Sorry...I'm originally from Texas. The accent comes back when I'm really relaxed.” 

“Do not apologize,” Hanzo said. “I like it.” 

Jesse shook his head. He seemed suddenly frustrated, and Hanzo couldn't pinpoint why. He hoped his comment didn't demean Jesse or his accent in any way. “It's not refined,” he said with an edge to his voice. 

Hanzo wanted to refute him because he knew the accent wasn't unrefined and was simply a fundamental part of who Jesse was, but the logical part of brain advised against it. “I am sorry Jesse.” 

The apology didn't seem to help. Hanzo could feel Jesse's agitation rising, and the boy began to stammer out an explanation. “It's just- I, when, hhn-”

Hanzo took Jesse's hand gently in his own and kissed his knuckles. “You do not need to explain, Jesse.” 

Jesse's mouth quirked, but he visibly relaxed. “Hanzo, I'm sorry, I-” 

Hanzo picked up a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks and held it up for Jesse. “There is no reason for apologies. Say 'ah'.” 

Jesse gave Hanzo a bemused look and opened his mouth. “Ahh.” 

Hanzo fed Jesse the noodles, then swiped his thumb along his chin to wipe away some of the broth. Jesse chuckled breathily and they sat in each other's silence for a few long moments. “I like you Jesse.” the words sounded juvenile coming out of his mouth, and he had to mentally berate himself for lacking in tact. 

Jesse smiled coyly and leaned in. “But do you /like/ like me?” he asked, the corners of his mouth curling playfully. This is what Hanzo liked about Jesse. He made him feel comfortable, even when he knew he was being a fool. 

“I like you a lot.” 

Jesse's smile widened and he had to look down to hide it. He forced himself to look serious, but there was still a playfulness to his expression. “Whatever you do, promise you won't fall in love with me.” 

“Too late,” Hanzo said with a more somber lightheartedness. 

Jesse's face suddenly fell and his eyes widened. “What?” he asked. 

Hanzo reflected on his words, and they both stared at each other like the other was a car and they were the deer in its headlights. “I was playing along,” he finally clarified. 

Jesse didn't seem convinced, but he nodded. “It's not that...” he trailed off. 

“It is complicated,” Hanzo agreed. 

Jesse smiled at him and they both went back to eating. “This is really good. Did you make this?” 

“My father did,” Hanzo said. “He has always really enjoyed cooking.” Hanzo couldn't remember a night that his father hadn't made their dinner. He was an incredibly successful lawyer, and could easily afford a cook if he really needed to, but cooking was one of the few therapeutic hobbies Shimada Senior enjoyed. 

Jesse seemed to like the idea, because he was smiling again, but Hanzo watched as the expressions moved across his face. First contentment, then doubt, and finally sadness.

“Is something wrong?” Hanzo asked. 

Jesse seemed hesitant, at first, but after a moment of contemplation he voiced his concern. “What if I can't do it Hanzo? What if I can't give Clint a good life. What if he grows up to hate me? What if I do everything wrong?” 

“Do you love him?” Hanzo asked. 

“More than anything,” Jesse replied without a second thought. 

“Then you have nothing to worry about.” 

The brunette didn't look convinced. “What if I'm making the wrong choice?” 

Hanzo put his hand over Jesse's and squeezed lightly. “Look at him Jesse. You are his father. You mean more to him than any other person on this planet. When his mother abandoned him, you did not. You are his protector, and his provider. You are doing what is best for both of you, and that is the right choice.” 

There was silence for a long time as Jesse stared at Clint's sleeping face with a thoughtful expression. Hanzo watched Jesse stand and carry Clint to the bed, then he laid him down on his back and gave him a small kiss on the forehead. He walked back over to Hanzo, but didn't sit back down in his chair. Instead, he placed his hand on Hanzo's shoulder and bit his lip. “I'm not gonna lie Hanzo that was the hottest thing anyone's ever said to me.” 

Hanzo was taken aback. That wasn't the response he was expecting. He actually wasn't sure what he was expecting at all, but it definitely wasn't that. He sat in stunned silence for a bit, watching as Jesse leaned in to kiss him. The boy's face stopped inches from his own, and he realized Jesse was giving him the opening to stop or start. His fingers curled around the other's waist and he pulled him carefully into his lap. “Does Clint need to be fed first?” 

Jesse's eyes went half-lidded and he shook his head. “I fed him before you got here.” He rested his forehead against Hanzo's and they stared at each other for awhile, a musky aura of pure desire permeating the air around them. 

“He will not wake up?” Hanzo asked. 

“He can sleep through anything,” Jesse said, his voice low. He reached around Hanzo's head and pulled his hair out of its ponytail. 

Hanzo's hands slid down to Jesse's hips, and he dipped his fingertips just slightly under his shirt to massage his skin. Jesse bit his lip and leaned into the touch, then lowered his head in for a chaste kiss. Hanzo continued the contact, however, by recapturing Jesse's lips when he pulled away. 

“Mm, Hanzo.” Jesse straddled the other's lap, so their bodies were pressed together and sought to deepen the kiss. They both shifted around until they were comfortable in the (mostly) uncomfortable chair, and explored one another. It was nothing short of what high schoolers were wont to do when infatuated with one another: Mostly over the clothes, feverish, and a little bit awkward. Hanzo wasn't a virgin per se, but all of his sexual encounters before this one had proven to be somewhat apathetic. There was something about Jesse that sparked life in Hanzo, like a human defibrillator.

“Jesse,” Hanzo pulled back and slowly stood up, giving Jesse enough time to climb off his lap and follow suit. He led them both to the suspiciously stained floral-pattern couch and laid back. Jesse crawled on top of him and they resumed their passionate affair, this time with more aplomb now that they were flush together. 

Jesse's hands found their way under Hanzo's shirt and he began feeling his way around the other's body. Hanzo wondered briefly what he was thinking as he did so, because he became more fervent the more he discovered. They pulled away briefly for a breath and Hanzo realized he was panting. “Hanzo...” Jesse trailed off, but quickly found his courage. “I want more,” he whispered. He moved to Hanzo's ear and lightly nibbled on the lobe. 

Hanzo released a breathy laugh and his hands traveled down the other's back until they rested on the smooth curve of his ass. “If you wish to go further, I am more than willing.” Jesse smiled wide and dove in for another kiss.

Hanzo found his shirt quickly pushed up to his chest and Jesse began kissing a small trail down his chest and stomach. The further south Jesse went, the harder Hanzo's heart beat against his chest. Deft hands worked on the clasp and zipper of his slacks, but it still felt like an eternity before the hurdles were leapt. Jesse was placing tiny kisses at his hip bone, and his fingers were just peeling down the hem of his slacks when a harsh, rapid knock resounded at the door. 

He didn't even feel Jesse get up, but in the time it took to blink the other was all the way across the room with Clint cradled protectively in his arms. Hanzo stood, confused, and adjusted his clothing. “I will go see who it is,” he said to Jesse who was looking around frantically for an escape. “Jesse,” he said calmingly. “I will look. Just take deep breaths.” He kept his voice quiet just in case, and went to peer through the peep hole. 

“Oh my God.” Hanzo's fingers struggled with the locks. He was vaguely aware of Jesse's panicked inquiries from behind him, but his mind was having trouble processing the overwhelming amount of information. As soon as he yanked open the front door, he pulled a soaking wet Genji into the room. 

He closed the door and re-latched the locks. “Genji what are you doing here?” 

“Wh-What am I-I doing here?” Genji asked. His arms were clasped tightly around his drenched body and his teeth were chattering. “Wh-What are /y-you/ doing here!” 

Hanzo strode across the room and grabbed one of the spare blankets from the closet. “How long have you been sitting in the rain?”

“I-I don't know. H-Hour?” Genji's face went from a glare to a pout as weariness overcame him now that he was warm.

“What are you doing here?” 

“C-Catching you in the middle of something really suspicious, that's what. I'm telling dad.” 

“No you are not. What do you even have to tell?”

Genji frowned. “Well- You're in a motel in the middle of the night with a stranger and a baby. I'm sure that alone is enough to get you busted.” 

Hanzo grabbed Genji's arm and yanked him up to his feet. “You are not telling him you kusogaki. Go home.” 

Genji gasped, then his face twisted up in anger. “Better a kusogaki than a kusojijii!” 

“Shaberu na,” Hanzo responded tersely. He sat Genji on the bed and crossed his arms. To a degree he knew he was acting childish, but he had to make sure Genji wouldn't tell their father. It was for Jesse and Clint's safety more than anything. “Why are you here?” 

“I saw you leave after dinner and I wanted to know where you were going, so I followed you. I knew you were up to no good. You've left after dinner every night this week to come here, haven't you?” 

Hanzo looked at Jesse who was still standing in the corner, his face pale. He sighed and looked back at Genji. “So you followed me just so you could try and catch me doing something bad? Do you hate me that much?” 

Genji was quiet, but stared daggers at Hanzo. Jesse took a few steps forward, then stopped abruptly. “Hanzo, he was worried about you.” Hanzo raised an eyebrow at Genji, but still the boy didn't budge.   
“Think about it. You've been coming to a strange place in a shifty neighborhood for days and not coming home until morning.” 

Some of the tension seeped out of Hanzo's rigid body and he relaxed. “You were worried about me?”. 

“Who would be worried about you?” Genji grumbled. “Kusomajime.” 

“He can't go home in the rain by himself,” Jesse said. “Maybe you can drive him?” 

Hanzo gazed down at Genji's pathetic appearance and sighed. “You are right.” 

“I don't wanna go home,” Genji protested. “Plus if we go home now dad will hear us and he'll ask us both why we were out this late.”

Hanzo's jaw set in agitation but after thinking it over for a few moments, he finally relented. He looked to Jesse for one last push, but he simply smiled and shrugged. “Fine Genji you may stay, but father does not hear about this.” 

Genji smiled triumphantly and he laced his fingers behind his neck. “Seriously though, what're you doing here anyway?” 

“I am staying with...my friend, Jesse.” Hanzo turned and Jesse took a few more steps forward. 

“I'm Jesse. This is my son Clint,” Jesse held his hand out for a shake, but Genji only stared at it, then squinted up at Jesse's face.

“Aren't you a little young to have a baby?” 

“Urusai!” Hanzo smacked Genji on the back and turned red with embarrassment. “I am sorry Jesse, he's a brat.” 

Jesse laughed a bit awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. “No, no. It's fine. I am pretty young.” 

“How old are you?” Genji asked. 

“Well, uh, I'll be seventeen in a couple weeks.” 

“Huh. So you're pretty much Hanzo's age,” Genji hummed. “If Hanzo had a baby our dad would kill him.” 

Hanzo put his head in his hands and then let his hands fall down to his lap. “Why don't we watch a movie?” he suggested. At least that way Genji couldn't ask any more insulting questions. 

Even that was a pipedream, however, because Genji talked through the whole thing. After the initial awkwardness, Genji and Jesse seemed to get along really well. They talked about video games Hanzo had never even heard of, and comics, and tv shows that he'd never cared much about. It was weird at first, but in the end he was happy Jesse had someone to relate to. 

Clint started crying near the end of Seven Men From Now, so Jesse prepared him a bottle. Genji ended up falling asleep on the bed, and halfway through Clint's feeding, Jesse was also falling asleep. Hanzo carefully took Clint from Jesse's arms and finished the feeding, then placed him back on the bed between the older two. 

The only spare blanket was the one he'd covered Genji with (but that blanket was wet and cold now) so he curled up on the couch and rubbed at his skin to try and keep warm through the night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know I said I probably wasn't going to be able to write for awhile, but I messed up my shoulders and elbows doing...things...and I couldn't really draw or do homework because it hurt so bad, so I ended up getting a full chapter out in a decent enough time? Also I could stay up late tonight because my class tomorrow was cancelled (although let's be real I would've been up this late regardless). 
> 
> Okay I think I say this every chapter, but I feel like I can't stress it enough. Thank you SO much for all your kudos, bookmarks, comments, etc. You're all just so amazing and your support just really helps me get through the day. In a school where I feel like everything I do is subpar, hearing how my fic has affected you guys in various different ways really rejuvenates my soul <3 I appreciate you all very deeply!

Jesse knew the issues between Genji and Hanzo ran almost a decade deep, but he felt like there might have been some progress made between the two brothers. After taking Genji home in the morning, Hanzo returned to the motel and they had a heart to heart about the situation. 

“I asked him why he would do something so reckless, but he was obstinate as ever. He refused to respond to any of my questions, and instead sulked like a child.” 

Jesse laughed. “He /is/ a child, Hanzo. Give him a break.” 

Hanzo contemplated the reply, then looked stubbornly away. “Our father raised us to be respectful. He has no respect. He is stubborn and distant and refuses to do anything outside of his own interest. He lies and sneaks-” 

“Sounds a little like he takes after his older brother.” Jesse was watching Hanzo pace around the room while he reclined back on the bed, propped up with a couple pillows. He shared a coy smile with Clint who was sat up against Jesse's bent legs. He held both of Clint's hands and sat up to kiss him, then leaned back down and repeated the movement continuously until Clint was a giggling mess. 

“No,” Hanzo said firmly. “We are not-” he paused and his jaw set with realization. “It is different.” 

“Ha!” Jesse laughed loudly. “Obstinance, right there. And for the record, you're still a kid too. We all are. You don't gotta act like you're already forty and paying social security you know. You shouldn't be expected to think too seriously when you haven't even had sex yet, y'know?” 

Hanzo gave him an odd look. “What makes you think I am a virgin?” 

Jesse stopped playing with Clint for a moment and cocked his brow. “Uh...everything about you, I guess? Workaholic, too serious for his own good, sorta socially unaware.” 

Hanzo squinted. “I resent that.” 

Jesse laughed again. “Sorry, I'm not trying to insult you or anything, but face it hun...you got a ten foot pole up your ass. I kinda just assumed...” 

“Don't you Americans have a phrase about making assumptions?” Hanzo asked. He stopped pacing and took a seat on the edge of the bed next to Jesse. 

“Only that it makes an ass out of you and me,” Jesse watched him closely, his eyes tracing over every detail of Hanzo's elegant face. “I'm sure there're plenty of people that think we're asses already anyway.” 

Hanzo smirked and placed his hand over Jesse's. “Do I need to prove to you that I am rather experienced in this area?” 

Jesse blushed and cleared his throat, unable to repress the smile teasing at his lips. “I won't believe you until you do.” 

Hanzo leaned in until their lips were almost touching, then suddenly pulled away and adjusted his sleeves. “Well, anyway, nothing can be done while the baby is watching. There is no need to scar a child,” he said matter-of-factly. 

Jesse looked almost hurt by Hanzo's sudden 180. His frown was nearly a pout and he looked down at Clint. “Okay Clint time to take your nap.” It took extra long to prepare Clint's afternoon bottle because his hands were fidgeting and it didn't help that Hanzo was tracking him with a smug expression. This was revenge, pure and simple, and Jesse was fully prepared to return the favor when the time came. 

Jesse never considered himself a lucky man by any stretch of the imagination, but it was moments like these that the universe really seemed to rub it in his face. Clint, who slept something like fifteen hours a day, was inevitably wide awake. He tried feeding him, but that only seemed to wake Clint up more; He tried playing with him until he was worn out, but today he insisted on being a little ball of energy; Normally Jesse would appreciate the extra time with the baby, but he was still a teenager with a raging libido and the object of his affection dangling just above his head. 

After an hour of failed attempts to get Clint to sleep, Hanzo remarked with an air of self-satisfaction, “Perhaps he realizes his father is succumbing to sinful urges. He is trying to protect your mortal soul, Jesse.” 

Jesse glared at him and stroked Clint's hair back, rocking him faster. “You're not helping.” 

“I was not trying to help.” 

“You know, this affects you too!” He tilted his head as he looked down and kissed the tip of Clint's nose. “C'mon Clint. Aren't you tired? Please go to sleep.” 

Hanzo covered his mouth to suppress a laugh. “Why didn't you think of asking him politely earlier?” he asked sarcastically. 

Honestly, Jesse was surprised Hanzo was capable of this much sass. He was usually the one that case workers claimed needed an “attitude adjustment”, but he felt rather tame these days. Maybe it was because he felt safe, or because he had Clint, or maybe because he and Hanzo bounced off each other so effortlessly that it allowed the sides of themselves that they had hidden for survival to come out. 

Jesse looked back down at Clint, and to his surprise the baby's eyes were slipping closed. He let out a big, long yawn and Jesse cheered. “HA! That's my boy!” The sudden noise scared Clint awake, but after rocking him apologetically for another couple of minutes, he was falling back asleep once more. Jesse turned his gaze to Hanzo and raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Being polite pays off Hanzo, you should try it some time Mister 'I was raised to be respectful'.”

Hanzo didn't seem put off by Jesse's statement. Instead he smiled and walked to where Jesse was sitting on the floor. He plopped down next to him and brushed some of his hair back. “I was wrong.” 

“You're damn straight.” Jesse nodded firmly and placed Clint on the bed so he could sleep in peace. “Anyway, I believe you have a lesson to teach me.” 

“Is that what you like?” Hanzo asked, a sly edge to his voice. 

Jesse laughed and scooted over to him on his knees. He crawled into the other man's lap and nudged him gently with his nose until Hanzo's full attention was on him. “Oh no, no, no Mister Shimada. I'm not gonna make it that easy for you. Not after how you treated me.” 

“Two wrongs do not make a right, Jesse.” Hanzo pulled Jesse close by his hips so their bodies were pressed firmly together.

“But three rights make a left,” Jesse countered. 

Hanzo raised an incredulous eyebrow. “What does that even mean?” 

Jesse shrugged. “Beats me.” 

“It is bad Jesse. It does not make sense.” Hanzo laughed and Jesse joined him. 

“I never said I was good at retorts,” he reasoned. He stopped wasting time and carded his fingers through Hanzo's long hair, reveling in the silken texture.

“Indeed,” Hanzo teased, leaning in to kiss him. The exchange was chaste at first, like they were childhood sweethearts wasting time on the playground. Jesse laced his fingers with Hanzo's and slowly things escalated until the two were a groping, hormone-driven mess.

“Mm,” Jesse moaned as they separated for a breath. “How many times have you done it?” he asked. 

Hanzo gave him an odd look and shrugged. “I do not remember...” After a moment he asked, “What about you?”

“I don't remember either,” Jesse admitted. “How many people?” 

“Two. One male and one female,” Hanzo answered. “You?” 

“Just one. Female...obviously. You don't really have a preference then?” 

Hanzo nodded and leaned in to nip at Jesse's neck. “You too?” 

Jesse shook his head slowly, shuddering at the sensation of Hanzo's blunt teeth. “I'm gay.” He wrapped his arms around Hanzo's broad chest and felt up his smooth back.

Hanzo adjusted their positions so Jesse was laying on the ground, then continued their kiss at a less intense pace than before. Some of the heat had died down, but not in a bad way. Now everything felt soft and gentle, like the world was coming to a halt. The only time Jesse had experienced something this pure was the first time Clint fell asleep in his arms. 

The brunette let out a small laugh and Hanzo tilted his head. “Why are you laughing?” 

“My toes are tingling,” he said. “It feels like my legs are waking up-” Pause. “It feels like my whole body is waking up.” He dragged his fingertips lightly down the small space of exposed chest beneath Hanzo's unbuttoned top. An overwhelming sensation overcame Jesse, and suddenly he was in tears. He couldn't explain why or what had suddenly changed, but the happiness that had started as a warm blossom in his chest was suddenly burning him from the inside out. 

“Why are you crying?” Hanzo asked, panic in his voice. “Did I do something wrong?” He backed away, but Jesse reached out and caught him. 

“No, stay, stay,” he said, pulling Hanzo's face down for a flurry of kisses. “I'm just so happy. I'm happy we met. I'm happy I met Gabe. I'm happy you like Clint. I'm happy you love your brother, even if you don't show it. I'm more happy then I've ever been. No matter what happens I'm just so happy good people really do exist.” 

Hanzo's brow furrowed and he leaned down to place a comforting kiss on Jesse's lips. “Jesse what are you talking about? Nothing is going to happen. I will not let anything happen to you.” He placed both of his hands on the other's hips and pinned him against the floor as if trying to ground him. “Nothing is going to happen to you,” he said again, firmly. 

Jesse cried for a little longer, and Hanzo let him. He didn't try to calm him down but his fingers stroked careful, deliberate lines through the brunette's hair. Once he was finally calm, Jesse pulled Hanzo down for another kiss. 

At first they approached each other with complete innocence, more interested in admiring each other's bodies than moving forward. Eventually the shyness dissipated and they both became more aggressive with their actions until a perfect balance was met. It was rough at first, as they determined who did what where and which actions were more comfortable than others. Jesse could tell Hanzo was holding something back, and Hanzo could tell the same about Jesse. The sheer volume of intimacy issues just between the two of them were enough to beat the band, but none of that seemed to matter now.

Hanzo was more than receptive to Jesse when he became unsure of something. He could sense it before it happened, so there was never a pause in their exploration. When Hanzo was hesitant of pressing on, Jesse coaxed him into security without missing a beat. 

If they didn't have clocks to keep time, Jesse wouldn't have known how long they doted on each other. It felt like months and minutes at the same time; like they'd known each other for years and yet even that wasn't long enough. 

Jesse's knuckles caressed the prominent muscle trailing down the side of Hanzo's neck and he smiled. They were laying side by side on the floor, both equally exhausted after hours of intense romping. 

“How do you feel?” Hanzo asked Jesse, wrapping his arms around him. 

“Tired,” Jesse murmured, eyes already closed. “Itchy.” The carpet wasn't exactly comfortable. 

Hanzo pulled Jesse to his feet and they moved to the couch where they could rest more comfortably on one another. As achey as Jesse already was, he knew falling asleep on the floor was just asking for stiff joints. 

“I'm really glad I met you,” Jesse whispered. 

Hanzo nodded in response, brushing Jesse's hair until they both succumbed to sleep. 

 

When Hanzo finally had to leave, Jesse felt loneliness for the first time. In the past, being alone was all he ever wanted. After Clint was born, the baby was company enough.That wasn't to say Clint wasn't good company now, but Hanzo was obviously different. The man had said he'd return late that night, but after three hours of waiting in bored silence, Jesse was growing restless. 

He'd been staring out the window listlessly for nearly an hour when he heard a series of strange noises coming from Clint. It wasn't his usual sleep-noises which generally consisted of coos and ahhs. It sounded more like grunting. He got up and went to investigate, anxiety beginning to rise in the pit of his stomach. 

The first thing he noticed was how red the boy's face was. It almost looked like there was a pink glow concentrated on the center of his face, though his cheeks were flushed. “Clint?” The grunts slowly but surely turned to cries and Jesse felt a deep panic settle in his chest. “Oh my God,” he pulled Clint into his arms and bounced him lightly, but that only seemed to upset the baby more. 

“No, no, no-” Jesse didn't know what to do. What /could/ be done? He knew his only option, but there had to be something else. He took out his phone and dialed Hanzo's number, but it went straight to voicemail. He tried maybe six more times, tears brimming his eyes as he begged for some kind of miracle, but there was no indication that anyone was listening. 

He stared at Gabe's name in his phone, his hands shaking. Would Gabe even be willing to help him now? He really took the man's kindness and ran with it; He wouldn't have been surprised if the first thing the other said was “Get lost”. As terrified as the repercussions made him, he didn't know what else to do. Were babies supposed to have fevers? If he was crying did that mean he was in pain? The thought alone made Jesse's entire body run cold. “I'm sorry Clint, I'm so sorry, just hang on.” 

The phone only rang twice before Gabriel's voice answered on the other end. “Jesse?” He sounded urgent – hopeful. 

Jesse couldn't hold on any longer than that. As soon as he heard Gabriel's voice, he broke down. The only word he could manage to get out was a hard, breathy, “H-Help.” 

“God, Jesse where are you? Are you okay? Is that Clint? Where /are you/? Is he hurt? Are /you/ hurt?” The questions came in an overwhelming stream and Jesse couldn't focus on one long enough to answer before another one hit him. 

“Help,” he cried again, his body wracked by every violent sob. “I-I don't know what to do-”

“Jesse where. Are. You.” This time Gabriel wasn't asking. Jesse could tell in his tone. 

After swallowing several large breaths of air, Jesse finally managed to tell Gabriel which motel he was at. 

“Stay on the line with me Jess. Try and take some deep breaths with me okay?” Gabriel demonstrated, and Jesse tried to copy him but his own breaths were coming quickly against his will. “Jesse you're having a panic attack, okay? But you're gonna be alright. I know you're scared, but I won't let anything bad happen to you or Jesse, hear me? Are you safe? I'm close, okay? Answer me. Okay?” 

“O-Okay,” Jesse replied, followed by a sharp exhale. 

The sudden harsh banging on the door nearly threw Jesse into another panic, but he reminded himself it was just Gabriel and tried to calm himself down. He looked out the peep hole to make sure it was definitely the man he was expecting, then unlatched all the locks. Before he could even open the door Gabriel pushed his way in. He breezed right past Jesse and opened the bathroom door first, and then the closet, then turned to Jesse and strode over to him. He placed his hands heavily on either of the boy's shoulders and bore holes into his head with his intense gaze. “Jesse what happened?” 

Jesse wasn't panicking as much as he had been before, but Gabriel had frightened him effectively into silence. Gabriel seemed to pick up on this, because he softened the edge a bit and carefully turned Jesse's face in his hands. “I'm sorry Jesse. I didn't mean to scare you. I just – I didn't know if – if someone – Are you okay,” he paused, his thumb brushing over a fresh bruise on Jesse's neck. He didn't mention it, but his eyes drew back up to meet Jesse's.

It took a couple of tries, but Jesse finally managed to speak. “I'm fine,” he said, then adjusted Clint's position in his arms. “H-He's...he...” he started shaking again and Gabriel pulled him into a quick, comforting hug. 

“Relax, relax. What happened Jesse? I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong.” 

“H-His head-” Jesse stopped and let out a shuddered breath. 

Gabriel carefully tilted Clint's head from one side to the other, examining him. Realization seemed to dawn on him after no injuries were found and he rested his hand on the baby's forehead. “He has a fever,” he said. “Is that why you're freaked out?” 

Jesse nodded, sucking in a breath. He bit his lip, trying not to break down again, but hot tears blurred his vision regardless. 

“Is that all? God. You're gonna kill me, kid. I almost had a heart attack.” Gabriel pulled his hands off Jesse's shoulders and ran one over his face, relief washing over him.

“Something's wrong!” Jesse insisted urgently. “It's all my fault. What if – what if he – what if something happens-” 

“Shh,” Gabriel brushed Jesse's hair back and held his head steady. “Listen to me, kid. Babies get fevers. It means he's healthy. He'll be alright.” 

“But-” 

Gabriel stopped him with a minute gesture. “I'll call my friend Angela. She's a pediatrician. I'm sure she'll come take a look at Clint. Will that make you feel better?” 

Jesse nodded, slowly regaining confidence now that Gabriel was there to ease his anxiety.

Gabriel wasn't on the phone long, but he gestured to Jesse's backpack. “C'mon kid. She's gonna meet us at my office since it's practically the halfway point between us.” 

Jesse didn't have the wherewithal to argue or be suspicious. He trusted Gabriel – at least he mostly did, and he couldn't run the risk with Clint. 

He gathered his things and followed Gabriel to his car. The drive was quiet and awkward, and when Gabriel broke the silence it didn't help make things any less awkward. “Where'd you get the money for a room?” he asked, keeping his voice even. 

Jesse looked down, petting Clint who had calmed back down, but was still sniffling. He didn't reply, too afraid of accidentally implicating Hanzo. 

“I know you didn't get the money from me,” Gabriel said. Still no answer. “Did someone give it to you?” He was looking at Jesse now, so Jesse nodded slowly. 

“Who? Why?” Again, no response. Gabriel looked back over at him, and Jesse could feel the man's gaze move from his face to the bruises on his neck. There was more silence, before Gabriel spoke again. “I'm not mad at you Jesse,” he clarified. “I just want to know if there's anyone I need to kill.”

Jesse's head snapped to look at Gabriel so quickly it nearly cracked. His eyes widened and he shook his head. “No one-” 

“I was joking,” Gabriel said, but his face was a paragon of seriousness which indicated otherwise. 

“I'm sorry,” Jesse said, wiping renegade tears from his face. “I'm sorry I made you worry. I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls and took all the stuff you gave me.” He sniffed and held Clint close to his chest, doubling over as if he could hide them both from scrutiny. 

“I'm not mad,” Gabriel repeated. “We'll talk about everything later, don't worry.” 

Somehow, that made Jesse worry more.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gee Bill, why does your fic author let you have TWO updates? 
> 
> Well, let me tell you why. One of my professors absolutely eviscerated me in crits today. I can take brutal crits, don't get me wrong, but this was not a constructive crit. He laughed at me in front of all my peers, basically told me my assignment was shitty, and then implied there was no way I was going to get a job. I don't know what it was about today, because I usually get fairly positive crits from that professor but this time he really just laid into me. It could have been because I was trying a new technique a different professor suggested I try, so naturally it wasn't my best work, but he didn't even tell me what I could do to fix it. I'm a Junior now and this is the first time a professor has ever directly made me cry which is not an easy feat considering I already know I'm worthless lmao. 
> 
> Anyway enough complaining! Basically my plan for tonight was to come home and draw, but my confidence level was so low I couldn't even pick up my tablet pen. Instead I decided to write another chapter of this fic. I swear to God this is the only thing getting me out of this semester alive, and that includes you guys and all of your amazing support and encouragement. I love and appreciate every last one of you!! 
> 
> (Last thing, but I can't believe I've already written half a novel in a month...that might be the most productive I've ever been with my writing.)

“Jesse you have nothing to worry about. Clint is a pillar of health.” Angela held Clint up to show off his bright, giggling face and bounced him lightly in her arms. “I gave him some acetaminophen, and that seemed to break his fever. Babies his age can get fevers for a number of harmless reasons. He could have just been too warm, or maybe he was having a bad dream and the stress made his temperature rise. Just keep an eye on him for the next couple of days and keep him hydrated. If anything worries you, Gabe has my number.” 

“Thank you Angela,” Gabriel said, taking Clint from her. “How's Pharah?” 

“She's doing well,” Angela said. “Her mother and Reinhardt came over for dinner earlier, along with the two foster children they have taken in. They're planning on adopting both of them in the coming months.”

“That's great,” Gabriel said, shooting Jesse a quick look. He wasn't sure if the foster talk would make him uncomfortable or set him off in any way, so he kept a careful eye out. 

“Speaking of which, I heard Jack paid you a visit recently.” 

Gabriel could feel Jesse's mood shift at the mention of his case worker. He seemed to go from neutral to defensive with the slightest adjustment to his stance. Luckily, he was still holding Clint and Jesse's backpack was in his truck so there was no way the teen would run off again. “Yeah. We can talk about it later.” 

Angela gave Gabriel a somber smile and waved him off. “It's just unfortunate. You and Jack used to be so close. I don't think I have ever seen you happier than when you were with him.” 

The man's jaw clenched - not out of anger, but concern; He didn't want Jesse to have any more unnecessary anxiety than he needed to. “He just wanted to ask me a couple of questions. I couldn't help him.” 

“That's not what I heard,” Angela purred. “I heard the two of you made plans to go out for drinks. Perhaps your old flame will return?” 

“Maybe. Thanks Angela, we'll walk you out.” 

Angela pouted, but rescinded her teasing and followed the two of them out. “It was a pleasure to meet you and Clint, Jesse. As I said before, Gabe has my number. If you ever have any questions, I am more than happy to answer them.” 

“Thank you ma'am,” Jesse said quietly. 

She smiled at him and waved before taking her leave. Gabriel placed Clint carefully in Jesse's arms and sighed. “Sorry about that.” 

“Looks like we both have some explaining to do,” Jesse murmured. 

“...Looks like it,” Gabriel agreed. 

 

Gabriel made them both hot cocoa and gave Jesse a blanket to wrap Clint and himself in. Clint fell asleep during his night time feeding and after a long, stalled time spent settling in, Gabriel finally asked, “How long were you at the motel?” 

“Since I left your apartment,” Jesse answered. “How do you know Jack?” 

“We went to the same undergrad college,” Gabriel explained. “I haven't really seen him since graduation. How'd you get the money for the motel?” 

Jesse was quiet for a few seconds, then replied, “I stole it.” 

“Bullshit,” Gabriel said. 

“I did,” Jesse insisted, firm. “You're an idiot if you trust me that blindly. I'm a stranger to you and you're letting me in your home and you won't even take my word for it when I say I stole it!” Gabriel watched him with a fiery gaze. He didn't say a word for what felt like an eternity, and finally Jesse had no other choice but to give in. “Someone paid for the room for me.” 

“Who?” Gabriel asked. 

“No,” Jesse said. “It's my turn. Why did you k...” he paused and cleared his throat. “You kissed Jack. Why?” 

“It was a diversion so you could hide safely.” 

“You could've done something else. Why did you kiss him?” 

“My turn,” Gabriel said, much to Jesse's chagrin. “Who paid for the room?” 

Jesse's mouth quirked as he debated what lie to tell. “A friend.” 

“You don't have any friends,” Gabriel said harshly. 

Jesse's brow quirked and he gave Gabriel a look. It wasn't necessarily angry or upset, more puzzled than anything. 

Gabriel went flush and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn't mean it like that.” 

Jesse cracked a bemused smile and took a sip of his hot cocoa. “How did you mean it?” 

“Not like that,” Gabriel said with an edge of frustration. “If you had people to help you, you probably wouldn't have been on the streets before. At least not with Clint. That's what I meant.” 

Jesse looked away and sighed. “Pass.” 

“There are no passes,” Gabriel said almost like he was offended. 

Jesse laughed. “Where's that in the rules?” 

“Fine, fine. One pass.”

'Why'd you kiss Jack?” Jesse asked again. 

“Pass.” 

“Hey! That's not fair-” 

“It's completely fair. You passed on the last question, I'm passing on this one. My turn.” Gabriel's eyes went back to the bruises on Jesse's neck and his mood shifted to complete seriousness. “Do we...” he trailed off, debating on how to continue. 

“Do we what?” Jesse asked quietly. 

“Do we need to get you tested?” 

Jesse turned red and his face expressed a plethora of emotion. He went from looking betrayed to upset to concerned in the span of seconds. “Of course not! What would you- I can't even- You can't-” 

“I was worried about you,” was all Gabriel needed to say for Jesse to quiet back down. “I'm not trying to hurt or humiliate you, Jesse. I just want to make sure you're safe and healthy. I respect your decision not to tell me certain things, but I need to know if you're at risk so I can help you.” 

The boy seemed conflicted, but less flighty than before which was an improvement. “It's not like you're my dad,” he said vehemently.

“No,” Gabriel said. “I'm not. You don't get to choose your parents Jesse - We both know that better than most. But you can choose the people that you let help you.” He placed a hand on Jesse's shoulder and squeezed lightly. Jesse was tense at first, but seemed to ease up a little bit after a couple of moments passed. 

“Did you tell Jack I was here?” Jesse asked. 

“No,” Gabriel said. “Of course not. I want to protect you Jesse. I don't know exactly what I'm protecting you from, but whatever it is I won't let it hurt you.” 

Jesse was calm now, but wouldn't look at Gabriel. He kept his gaze between Clint and the mug of hot cocoa in his hands. 

Another long silence stretched between them. Gabriel knew what he had to ask next and he knew Jesse could sense it was coming. “Is Clint really your son?” 

Tears brimmed Jesse's eyes before he could stop them and he hugged Clint closer to his body. Gabriel could see his shoulders start to tremble. “Yes,” he whispered. 

“Your foster mother seems to think Clint is her baby, Jesse,” Gabriel said. “And she's been saying that you're a compulsive liar.” He tried to keep his tone from sounding accusing, because he wasn't, but there was no light way to bring it up. 

“I'm not lying! Clint is my baby,” Jesse stressed. He was going into full panic mode and Gabriel knew there was nothing he could say that wouldn't make it worse. “He's mine, I swear to God he's mine. I swear on John Wayne's grave he's my baby. Do you think I'd lie to you about something like that? He's mine. /He's mine/.” 

“Jesse I believe you, but why would she claim Clint is hers if he isn't? It seems like a risky move, especially if there's no documentation of him being her baby.”

“Please, please believe me Gabe. Clint is my baby. He's mine. I swear, I swear on everything I've ever believed in. I swear on my life.” Jesse was growing more frantic by the moment, but Gabriel couldn't wrap his head around it.

It seemed to make less sense the more sense he tried to make of it. He resolved that maybe the kind of help Jesse needed was help Gabriel couldn't provide. He replaced his hand on Jesse's shoulder and sighed. “Jesse look, I believe that you believe Clint is your baby. Maybe you feel like you need to save him from his real parents or-” the look Jesse gave him made him stop that stream of consciousness. 

Jesse suddenly stood and Gabriel followed him. “Jesse, wait. Listen, you need to help me understand. You don't have to tell me the whole story, but something here isn't adding up and I can't help you unless I know what's going on. Explain to me how you think Clint can be yours and hers?” He spun Jesse around by the shoulder and stared at his pale, terrified face. Realization struck him like a speeding train and he stopped. He hadn't experienced many moments like these, where everything went dead silent and the world seemed to shatter. He felt naive. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt naive. “Jesse-” 

“Don't pity me,” Jesse growled in response to the look Gabriel was giving him. He backed up as Gabriel approached, so the man let only the tips of his fingers linger on Jesse's shoulder. He gave him the option to pull away, but took a few steps closer. 

“You're not alone Jesse. I'm going to help you.” Sensing that Jesse was comfortable with the gesture, Gabriel pulled him into a tight hug. “You're safe, Jesse. If anyone wants to hurt you, they'll have to get through me first.” 

He figured Jesse was too exhausted to break down again, but the boy wrapped one arm around Gabriel's broad chest and gripped the back of his jacket like he was afraid to let him go. He buried his face in the man's chest, shaking like a leaf in the wind. 

Jesse didn't break the hug for a long time, but when he finally did Gabriel could see the fatigue on his face. 

“Get some sleep, Jesse,” he said. “We'll figure this all out in the morning.” 

Gabriel had faith that Jesse wouldn't run again. He didn't want to check on him and run the risk of violating Jesse's trust. He'd done a good job of that earlier, but luckily things didn't seem damaged beyond repair. He whipped his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed the speed dial to his ex-wife.

“Bonjour mon amour. Did you find your lost puppy?” 

“I found Jesse,” Gabriel corrected. “But I messed up big time, Amélie.” 

“It was only a matter of time,” the woman responded with a hint of amusement. 

“Amélie I'm serious.” 

“Gabriel, you realize you owe me all the snarky remarks I would like for what I am doing for you, yes? I should be making sweet passionate love to ma chérie, and yet there she sits at our dining table, fully clothed, playing cards with – ah – what are those two called? From the movie with the Lion?” 

Gabriel smirked. He was surprised he knew exactly what she was referring to. “Timone and Pumba?” 

“Yes,” Amélie drawled. “She is playing cards with Timone and Pumba.” 

“I know this is putting you out Amélie, but I really appreciate it. I just thought less people would be better when Jesse came home. I didn't want to overwhelm him. It's only temporary I promise. I owe you one.” 

“Oh,” Amélie cooed. “Gabriel you poor, naive man. You do not owe me one. You owe me so, so much more than that.” 

The tone sent chills up Gabriel's spine, but he brushed it off. “Yeah. Got it. How are they, anyway?” 

“Surprisingly pleasant,” Amélie said. “The big one is quiet, and the skinny one and Lena get along well. I sense a very unfortunate friendship blossoming.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Unfortunate for you, you mean?” 

“Precisely.” 

“You are such a buzzkill.” 

“All things aside how is your boy?” 

Gabriel sat heavily in one of his armchairs and leaned on his free hand. “He's not hurt, thank God. He's hiding a lot, but I have all the information I need to open up a case. Because it's against his legal guardians though, I want to ensure I have a paternity test done for Clint first. There are too many variables at play. I don't want him to get swept back up in the system.” 

“Why would you need a paternity test for this case, Gabriel?” 

Gabriel didn't answer. He didn't want to abuse the information that Jesse had given him, even though he knew his silence could be just as much of a giveaway.

Amélie caught on quicker than he had, as she was wont to do, and made a small, “Ah. I see.”

“DNA tests are damning. Without it, there's nothing we can do. If his foster parents get ahold of him, we'd need their permission to have one done and you know that's not going to happen. Jesse wouldn't testify unless he was sure we'd win – it's the survival instinct. Junkrat's testimony would be useless. A jury would never take him seriously without hard evidence. The DNA test is our only hope of helping him.” 

“We only legally have access to one lab, Gabriel, and it would take two to three weeks for a test to come back. Any other test can easily be discounted as fraudulent. That means hiding him for an additional two weeks /after/ you have already sent in for the test.” He could hear Amélie shifting around from where she was standing and ambiguous cheering in the background. 

“I know.” 

“If you get caught, they can charge you with a litany of crimes. Kidnapping, child endangerment, conspiracy charges...you have no evidence. If Jesse won't testify, you have nothing. No scars, no marks, no priors I am assuming or they would not have been greenlit to foster in the first place.”

“Emotional abusers are smart and manipulative. Juries are stupid, we both know this well. They will weave a web of lies to entrap and implicate you if they need to, Gabriel. You are not playing house with this lost child anymore, you are inviting in one thousand different ways for you to end up imprisoned.” 

Gabriel absorbed every word Amélie said to him. He always did, even if he pretended to shrug her off. “You really do have a way of making something sound a million times worse than it is.” 

“This is one millions times worse than it is, Gabriel,” Amélie insisted. 

“I know.” 

“And what do you plan to do if you get your way? Jesse will be sent to a new family. Even if they are perfectly lovely, he will never be able to trust them. He only has a year or so left before he is eighteen. Most likely, he will leave and be confined to the streets again”

“I'm going to adopt him,” Gabriel said firmly. “If he wants me to, at least.”

Amélie sighed. “Gabriel, you have a big heart, but this situation may very well be out of your expertise. I do not want to see you hurt, or worse.” 

“I have to try, Amélie.” 

“But why?” Amélie asked. “He is a stranger to you. Sure he is a wide-eyed young boy, and yes he is practically your carbon copy from that age, but you are literally putting your life on the line. What about the people who love you?”

“What about the people who love him?” Gabriel asked. “He has no one but us now, Amélie. He was thrown from one abusive household to the next. He's never had healthy love before. The system may have abandoned him, but I'm not going to.” 

“Why is his life more important than yours?” He could tell from Amélie's voice that she was getting frustrated, but he wasn't going to settle on this matter. 

“It's not that his life is more important than mine,” Gabriel started. “It's that my life isn't more important than his. I love you and Lena, but what do I have? At the end of the day you go home to her and I come home to nothing. I had what you and Lena have and I screwed it up. You should've seen how Jack looked at me. At Jesse's age I was angry because the world dealt me a cruel hand. I became a victim of my own goddamn circumstances. This kid was given shit chances, but I'm not going to let him turn into me. I'm not gonna let him blow every chance he has at happiness because of his past. He needs to see there's still good in the world.”

“Saving him will not solve your issues, Gabriel,” Amélie murmured. 

“I know. I'm not trying to solve my issues. I'm trying to keep him from making the same mistakes.” 

Amélie sighed dramatically, followed by a gentle groan. “You have lost me, my love. If the only reason you are helping him is because you are projecting, then you are doing it for all the wrong reasons.” 

Gabriel grimaced at that, and covered his face with his hand. “Thanks Amélie.”

“You know I am with you, no matter what course of action you choose to take, but there is only so much I can do. I am not a miracle worker.”

“You've already done so much for me. Both of you have. Tell Lena thank you.” 

Amélie laughed to herself. “You know she needs no thank you.” 

“I know, but I'd like her to know all the same.” 

“Fair enough. I will tell her. Please think about what I said, Gabriel. Do not let your fool-hardy nature be your downfall. Think hard about what you will do next. It could very well be your downfall.” 

Gabriel couldn't help but laugh. “Ominous,” he said. 

Amélie laughed along with him. “Goodbye Gabriel.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Another update. This chapter is just a bunch of legal jargon and it's a bit exposition-y, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! 
> 
> Also, I'm once again incredibly overwhelmed by all the encouragement you guys gave during my last update. I wasn't expecting so many people to leave such supportive and amazing comments!! It really made my day a little better. <3 
> 
> I try to respond to every single one, because you guys seriously inspire me to keep doing my thing. Anyway, sorry I'm so gushy all the time!!

Amélie wasn't feeling as humorous when she hung up the phone. She walked to the dining room where Junkrat, Roadhog, and Lena were still playing cards. The large man had a surprisingly calm demeanor, while the wispy one couldn't seem to sit still. 

“Was that Gabe, love?” Lena asked, looking up from her cards.” 

“Yes,” Amélie said. “Is this what it feels like to have a child?” 

Lena laughed. “What do you mean? I think Gabe acts pretty mature. Sometimes it seems like he exited the womb a full blown adult. He was probably serious his whole life.” 

“You are not wrong,” Amélie said off-handedly. She leaned on her hand and sighed. “But that is not what I meant. I am watching him burn himself alive, and he is using logic as tinder. It does not make sense to me.” 

“That was real poetic,” Junkrat interjected, smiling wide. “Tinder and all that. I'd never think to use that word.” 

Amélie hummed. “My parents were both poets. You do not spend your life around that without picking up a fair vocabulary.” 

“You're a lawyer, Amélie, that's why you don't get it. Gabe is too, but he gets too emotional about things. Even if he doesn't show it, you can tell his cases eat him alive sometimes. He internalizes everything which is super unhealthy, y'know?”

“Oh yes, I know.” Amélie leaned back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest. 

“People like you and Mako here think with your head too much,” Lena said, smacking Roadhog lightly on the shoulder with the back of her hand. “Me, Gabe, and Junkrat think with our hearts so we're willing to risk things more rather than weigh the pros and cons. Impulsivity and whatnot. That's also why I'm kicking Roadhog's ass right now!” She laughed, and the stoic man's mouth quirked into a smile in response.

“In all seriousness though, Gabe's not gonna give up on Jesse cus he's too emotionally invested now and there's nothing you can do about it. There's no use trying to reason with him or tell him what he's doing isn't worth it, because then you're just pushing him away. Sure, it might be a huge mistake in the end, but it's his mistake to make. The more you tell him what he believes in is worthless, the more you're gonna push him away.” 

Amélie put her head in her hands and groaned. “I know you are right ma chérie, but I worry so much about him.” 

“I know,” Lena said. “There's nothing wrong with that.” 

“You know how he is, he will undertake these big cases and work himself half to death.” 

“This isn't just a case for him, though. He obviously sees himself in Jesse and, short of just being a compassionate person, this is about his own healing too. I think helping Jesse might solve some of his own intimacy issues in a weird way, like he's saving himself. He's just trying to be the person he needed when he was Jesse's age.” 

Amélie looked over at Lena and traced the soft features of her face with her eyes. “This is why I love you, even if it is infuriating how right you are sometimes.” She smiled and Lena leaned over to kiss her. “I still think it is dangerous for him to become this involved. Things do not always go the way we plan them.” 

Lena nodded. “In that case all we can do is be there for him.” 

Junkrat, who had been zoning in and out of the conversation, piped up. “What, you think there's a chance things might go bad for Gabe?” 

“The justice system is not always just,” Amélie said. 

“She's right,” Lena appended. “If this does go to trial we can't say for sure that Gabe will win. After they find out he's been harboring Jesse, they might want to investigate him. Even the smallest piece of evidence can send him on trial himself, and if that's the case he can't defend Jesse. Conspiracy is a felony, and harboring a runaway is a misdemeanor, but there's a chance they won't accuse him if he speaks up about Jesse's abuse. The only problem is he hasn't contacted anyone about taking Jesse in. As far as anyone knows, he's harboring not only a minor, but a criminal as well. There are way too many factors that can lead to Gabe being incarcerated.” 

“Woah...” Junkrat listened with wide eyes. “I don't understand any of that.” 

Amélie brushed her hand across her face and sighed. “He hasn't had Jesse long enough for them to consider it as harboring a runaway. Before Jesse left the apartment, he was only there for a couple of days. The court will give him leeway, but he has a week left at most. Which means he will need to have a paternity test on Clint ready and even that is not an assurance.” 

“Leeway?” Junkrat asked, eyes still wide. 

“The court will give leeway in situations like this as far as time goes. As American Citizens it is our duty to report any crimes we witness. In a situation like this, the courts will give leeway on when Gabriel reports the crime. Presumably, it will have taken him time to determine that a crime has been committed in the first place. I would say two weeks is the absolute maximum one can get away with this defense.” 

Junkrat squinted. “Can't he just say he didn't know?” 

“No,” Lena answered. “Ignorance can't be used as a defense, even if you truly don't know that you're committing a crime. Gabe knows he's technically committing a crime if he keeps trying to hide Jesse and doesn't turn him in or contact a runaway shelter or CPS.”

Junkrat looked troubled at the explanation and he chewed on his bottom lip. “Is there nothing we can do?” 

“All Gabriel can do is turn him in,” Amélie said. “It is the best course of action not only for him, but for Jesse as well. They must bring the abuse to the light and from there the state will decide what to do.”

“...Do you honestly think Jesse has a chance?” 

Amélie thought heavily for a moment, and steepled her fingers so she could rest against them. “I could not tell you, Jamison. The complexity of this case is...astounding. What the court decides to do with it will be out of our hands. If they do not find just cause to try Jesse's foster parents for the abuse, then Jesse will be sent to juvenile court for kidnapping. There is no jury there, only the court. The judge decides what will be done with the child. Then, it will depend on the judge. If they try the parents, then Jesse's case will most likely be put on hold until that case is resolved. There are so many ways it can go...All we can do is hope for the best.” 

Junkrat rested his head on the table and frowned deeply. “Jesse never did anything wrong to anybody. He's a good kid...he doesn't deserve this.” 

Lena nodded in agreement and crossed her arms. “We'll figure this out Jamie. Clint and Jesse are gonna be okay. We're not just gonna give up on him. We're gonna keep fighting, okay?” 

Junkrat nodded and shoved his hands in the pocket of his jacket. “Jesse was the only foster relative I ever had that was nice to me. I just wish I could've been there for him more. Maybe if I-”

“No,” Amélie interrupted, reaching out to place her hand on the top of Junkrat's head. “Do not say such idiotic things. What's past is past, and now we must move forward and work towards helping Jesse.” 

“Hindsight /is/ twenty-twenty,” Lena said softly, rubbing Junkrat's shoulder to comfort him. 

Junkrat didn't seem totally convinced, but their actions seemed to comfort him at least a little bit. “Were things really that bad? Our foster mom was always so nice to Jesse, I thought she liked him.” 

“She does,” Amélie said. “Abuse comes in many forms.”

Junkrat grabbed at his hair, pulling lightly in frustration. “I'm sorry- I don't get it. That doesn't make sense to me.” He placed his forehead against the surface of the table and his shoulders trembled like his body couldn't hold the energy bubbling up inside of him. 

Roadhog, who could presumably sense that Junkrat was on the verge of some episode, massaged the smaller man's hands until he let go of his hair, then slowly rubbed circles on his back. 

“Hey, it's okay Jamie. Sometimes stuff doesn't always make sense,” Lena said. “She shouldn't get away with what she did to you, but if you're right and she wasn't doing the same things to Jesse then maybe it was just a misunderstanding?” 

“It is not a misunderstanding,” Amélie said. “She was abusing him.” 

Junkrat looked up and buried his face against his arms, listening. 

“Normally this is not information I would disclose outside of a case, but I think it is pertinent for us to be on the same page, so to speak. Clint is your foster mother's child.” 

“So Jesse really did kidnap him?” Junkrat asked with a grimace. “A paternity test won't even work in that case...” 

“Well, yes, but Clint is Jesse's child,” Amélie said. “By blood, not by law.” 

Realization hit each of them one after the other. Roadhog's face registered surprise first, followed by a shocked gasp from Lena. Junkrat didn't get it initially. He rubbed his head thoughtfully then, after a long moment, shook his head. “Oh...damn.” He looked hopelessly sad for a moment, and then angry. “That makes sense.” 

“Does it?” Amélie asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Yeah,” Junkrat muttered. “She was always too nice to him. Way too nice. But when she wasn't being nice she'd guilt him. She'd say things like 'This is a good home, you owe a lot to me'. If he ever needed anything like school supplies or money or food, she'd write it down in a journal like she was tallying points or something. I just- I thought...” he trailed off and looked to one side with an unreadable expression. His hand was clutching the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white. “He snuck into my room a lot at night cus he was scared, but I thought...I had a lot of nightmares too, so I figured...” 

He didn't speak again for a long time after that, opting instead to stare off in one direction like he was watching an invisible movie. Roadhog jostled his shoulder to rouse him from wherever his mind had gone off to.

For as long as Amélie had known the boy, which admittedly wasn't very long, he had always been 'on'. Now, though, he seemed foggy. “Tomorrow we will meet with Gabriel and Jesse to discuss the case further. Until then, I believe we should all get rest.” 

“Yeah, that's a good idea,” Lena said, but even she seemed disheartened and a little bit hesitant.

Lena showed Junkrat and Roadhog to the guest room, so Amélie disappeared into their own bedroom. 

Amélie knew they were all going to be tested in the coming weeks. Whether it was her patience, or Jesse's trust, or Gabriel's vigilance, there was no guarantee someone wouldn't fall short somewhere. The situation wasn't necessarily hers to worry over, but it involved Gabriel's freedom so she felt a particular need to remain engaged. 

“You're thinking too hard,” Lena said after she walked into the room. Her smile was warm as she undressed and changed into a sheer nightgown. 

Amélie sighed and engulfed Lena's waist in her arms, pressing her head against the brunette's chest. “You are right, but a lot of thinking will need to be done on this matter to resolve it as well as we can.” 

“I know,” Lena whispered. She stroked Amélie's hair, carding her fingers through the long silky strands before letting it fall elegantly against the woman's back. 

“Why is he so...reckless.” 

“I don't know. He's got a lot of love in his heart, though. And you do too. That's why you're so worried about him. You're both just...you know...” Lena rolled her wrist, obviously trying to summon the least inflammatory string of words. 

“Emotionally stunted,” Amélie murmured. 

“Yeah...that.” Lena smiled and took Amélie's face in her hands, then pecked her on the lips. 

“What am I going to do if he's taken to prison, Lena?” Amélie pulled away and fell backwards onto their bed. Lena matched her movement by occupying the space between her legs. 

“All we can do is be there for him, but ultimately what he does is his decision,” she said. She took a moment to smoothe her hands over Amélie's thighs, then smiled and fell over her. She braced herself with her arms so her weight didn't fall on her lover and accidentally crush the breath out of her.

Amélie reached up and pulled on one of the straps of Lena's nightgown with a coy smile. “Is this an attempt to cheer me up?” 

“Maybe,” Lena cooed. 

“I approve.” Amélie pulled the other woman on top of her and switched their positions so she could shower Lena in a riot of kisses. 

\----

When Gabriel answered the door the next day, he look bedraggled. Amélie was positive he hadn't slept the night before. She could easily infer that he was probably doing research for Jesse's case. “Good morning mon amour.” 

“Morning, love,” Lena greeted as well. 

Junkrat's eyes darted from Gabriel, to the interior of the apartment. He looked antsy, but managed to mutter out a, “Mornin',” before slipping under Gabriel's arm. The feat was impressive considering his height. 

Roadhog, as usual, was silent, but managed a small nod. 

“Good morning everyone,” Gabriel said. He yawned despite himself, and turned away from the group to hide it. “Jesse's still asleep. I forgot to tell him about Junkrat last night so-” 

“Jess!” 

Amélie looked over to see Jesse barely out of the hallway before Junkrat was squeezing him in a tight hug. Jesse yelped in surprise, and the wideness of his eyes betrayed his confusion. 

“Jamison?” he questioned. 

Junkrat held him out at arm's length and grinned, “Foster baby brother! How are ya? Well- Okay. Well I'm glad to see you.” 

“You too,” Jesse said, blinking. He looked to Gabriel for answers, but the man was slow to react. 

“Sorry Jesse, I forgot to tell you last night. I came across Jamison completely on accident while I was looking for you. He was helping us.” 

“Sure...” Jesse looked unsure, but he shook it off and took a step back. “I'm gonna grab Clint and get ready.” He waved a greeting to them all, then disappeared back down the hall. 

“We have overwhelmed him,” Amélie said. 

“Yeah. That's my bad.” Gabriel sighed and rubbed the back of his neck then sat heavily at the dining room table where a flurry of documents were scattered in chaotic piles, among other things. 

Lena clapped her hands together. “I'll make us all some coffee!” 

“Thanks Lena,” Gabriel said, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. 

Roadhog pointed at Junkrat and asked, “Tea?” 

“Jamison can't have that much caffeine, Lena. There's some green tea in the cupboard. You know where it is,” Gabriel waved a dismissive hand and sank down in his seat. It was clear the fatigue was getting to him. 

“Sure thing!” the girl said, chipper. Amélie loved the boundless energy about the girl. Even partially rested, she herself felt exhausted. 

“Thanks mate,” Junkrat said, joining the others at the table. He elbowed Roadhog to extend the comment to him as well. 

“So,” Amélie said after a lengthy silence. “Do you have a plan, Gabriel?” 

Gabriel's quiet continued for some time, and he leaned his head against his hands. “I do. But it's not going to be fun for anyone involved.”

Junkrat frowned. “What do you mean?”

The man glanced at the hallway and Amélie already knew what he was going to say. He leaned in and said under his breath, “I'm going to have to turn Jesse in.”

“What? Why?” Junkrat leaned in, the shock apparent on his face. “You can't do that.”

“I'm already skating on thin ice,” Gabriel explained. “If it was discovered by the wrong person that I'm hiding Jesse I'd be charged with conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, kidnapping – and that's if I'm lucky. There are a lot of people that would love to see me disbarred. If that's the case, I can't defend Jesse.”

“Well can't you just get the paternity test on Clint? Then the court'll see you were helping him,” Junkrat said. 

“Not necessarily. Even with a paternity test it's not a guarantee that they can convict your foster mother. If she's as conniving and manipulative as she seems to be, there are a lot of ways this can go.”

“But he's a minor,” Junkrat gestured wildly with his hands. “Isn't there...laws against that kinda stuff?” 

Gabriel sighed. “Yes, there are. If he was under 14 it would be a different story, but, like I said, there are so many different ways this can go. It depends on the D.A.s and the judges and the jury. They might not try him until after they investigate the abuse charges on her, but...there's no real procedure here. This case is...complicated.” 

“Here you guys go,” Lena said, setting cups out for them all. She got a resounding thank you, then sat down at the table with them. 

Junkrat rubbed his head, groaning. “I'll testify. I will. Before it didn't matter cus I thought it was just me, but I don't want anything bad to happen to Jesse.” 

“Jamison that's...amiable...” Gabriel trailed off, and sipped his coffee by way of distraction. 

Amélie knew he was trying to find the rights words, so she decided to finish for him. “Your testimony would not carry much weight. Because of your conditions and general status, a jury would be less inclined to take anything you have to say heart. Using the many misconceptions and stereotypes about foster children, I can assure you your mother's attorney will try to defuse you in any way they can.”

Junkrat rested his forehead against the table and Roadhog rubbed his back to comfort him. “I just wanna help however I can.” 

“You can still testify,” Gabriel said. “I think it'll help, even if they try to paint you as an unreliable witness. We just have to hope the jury will be sympathetic.”

They heard Jesse coming down the hall moments later, and a heavy silence fell over the table. The boy entered the room with Clint in one arm resting against his shoulder, but he stopped upon penetrating the uncomfortable atmosphere. “...Should I come back later?” 

“No, no,” Lena said, gesturing him over. “Come and have a seat.” 

Gabriel got up and tried a smile. “I'll get started on breakfast. There's six of us, and with Hanzo on the way that makes seven-” 

“Hanzo?” Jesse asked, shifting in his seat. 

“Yeah. He's bringing some files I need from the office. I know you don't know him all that well, but he's an incredibly trustworthy and loyal person, so there's no need to worry. He assists me on all of my cases. Is that alright Jesse?” 

“Sure...” Jesse let out a nervous laugh, then bit his lip. 

Amélie watched Jesse closely as his eyes trailed Gabriel to the kitchen. Once the man was gone, the boy was able to relax, though he still seemed anxious. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, contemplating what the interaction meant. The answer seemed obvious, but she didn't want to make assumptions based on a feeling. She decided it would be better to wait and see.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really reaallyyy short chapter dedicated to my good friend fatcr0w who is having a really bad day. :(
> 
> So two reasons I haven't updated recently:
> 
> 1\. Finals finals finals. I can't take it anymore. :))
> 
> 2\. The Adventure Zone has consumed me....I'm in too deep....I can't write and listen to it at the same time I'm so sorry....the good/bad news is I'm almost caught up though! And once I am my life will go back to being meaningless until each subsequent update. 
> 
> Anyway enjoy!

Jesse knew form experience that he was a good liar, but this situation wasn't life or death enough to warrant said skill. Without the risk of it all, his ability to lie well seemed to evaporate completely into thin air. He didn't know how to act or what seemed too suspicious when Hanzo walked through the front door so he went through periods of ignoring him to talking like they were best friends. Hanzo, unsurprisingly, managed to keep his cool the whole time. 

Gabriel stopped halfway through outlining a specific defense and eyed Jesse who stared back at him like a deer in headlights. “Jesse you look stressed,” he said. 

“I'm fine,” Jesse responded quickly, He realized then why it was so hard to lie to Gabriel. He didn't want the man to be disappointed in him if he found out the truth about his and Hanzo's week-long tryst. 

Gabriel looked unsure and his attention turned to Hanzo, who looked momentarily surprised. Jesse felt his heart stop. Did Gabriel already know? Had all of this been a test on Jesse's trustworthiness? “Hanzo,” the man said. “Why don't you take Jesse into the guest room so you two can do something relaxing?” 

Amélie snorted and everyone at the table turned to look at her. She raised an eyebrow and said, “What?” Silence followed, so she added, “I was thinking of something funny that happened yesterday.” 

Gabriel's brow furrowed with confusion, but he ignored the odd behavior in favor of completing his thought. “There are movies in the drawer that you two can watch, or you can just hang out. You both have been working very hard, so I think a nice quiet break is well-deserved.”

“Thank you,” Hanzo said without hesitation, pushing himself up from the table. He glanced at Jesse, then began walking to the back room. 

Jesse paused, however, and looked between the room and Gabriel. “Are you sure it's alright?” he asked. 

“Of course. Why wouldn't it be? You've given me enough information for now. Amélie and I can take the rest from here for the time-” Gabriel stopped as if something had just dawned on him and Jesse felt his heart stop. “Are you nervous because you and Hanzo don't know each other that well?” He put a reassuring hand on Jesse's shoulder and squeezed. “He's one of the most trustworthy people I know, Jesse. I promise there's no need to be nervous.” 

Jesse was vaguely aware of Amélie smirking in his peripheral. Lena looked at her lover and scrunched her face in confusion but, after a couple seconds of thought, realization overcame her features. “Oh,” she said under her breath. 

The panic continued to rise in him and he felt like prolonging the interaction was going to incriminate him. “I just wanted to know if you could maybe watch Clint? I think being around all these people is soothing for him.” 

Gabriel's eyes widened briefly and it was obvious he was trying to make the gesture seem less than it was so he wouldn't freak Jesse out. “Of course,” he said, accepting the bundle as it was handed to him. 

“Thanks,” Jesse said. His arms felt lighter without Clint in them. It felt wrong, but he trusted Gabriel and Clint seemed to as well with how calm he was in the man's arms. He even seemed excited by the prospect of being held by someone familiar that wasn't Jesse. Jesse backed out of the room, his eyes trained on Clint to make sure the baby was going to be receptive to the new babysitter, then quickly disappeared into the guest room. 

“Mr. Reyes is incredibly trusting to-” Hanzo paused as Jesse closed the door, and quirked a brow, but quickly continued what he was saying. “He seems so protective of you, I am surprised...” he trailed off and scratched the back of his head. “Well, anyway.” 

Jesse smirked and strode over to the other. He stepped into his space and wrapped his arms around him, then laid his head on the other's chest. “Are you saying there's a reason he shouldn't trust you sweetheart?” 

Hanzo laughed under his breath. “No. That is not what I mean. It is just...” he trailed off again and brushed some of Jesse's hair out of his face. 

Jesse smiled at the intimate gesture and pulled away so he could lay on the bed with his arms covering his face. “I really thought I could just run forever Hanzo. Am I that stupid though?” 

“Mr. Reyes will help you get out of this Jesse. He is an incredible lawyer. I have personally seen him work miracles.” Hanzo's weight dipped the bed beside Jesse, so he moved to look at him. 

“You think so?”

“I do.” Hanzo put his hand over Jesse's eyes and leaned down to lightly kiss him. 

Jesse's smile grew and he gestured for Hanzo to lay down next to him. Once he did so, Jesse turned on his side so they were face to face. “I feel like I can be myself around you, Hanzo. I haven't been able to be myself in so long.” 

Hanzo nodded in agreement. “I feel very...comfortable around you, Jesse. I do not have to be so...” he squinted, trying to think of the right words.

“Guarded?” Jesse asked. “Rigid? Stern? Distant? Cold?” 

“...That will suffice, thank you,” Hanzo murmured. 

Jesse laughed and scooted closer to him, basking in his warmth. “So much of an asshole?” 

“...Sure,” The corners of Hanzo's mouth twisted into a smile, betraying his true emotions. Jesse sighed and stuck both his hands up the hems of Hanzo's shirt, which made the man shiver. “Your hands are cold.” 

“Sorry,” Jesse said, “You're really warm.” 

They stayed huddled together for a couple of minutes and Jesse took the opportunity to rest his eyes. “Do you still want to watch that movie?” Hanzo asked. 

Jesse snorted and rolled over. “Sure. I'll put it in.” He looked through the small library of DVDs and settled on the one with the coolest looking cover. Gabriel had a lot of dramatic action movies, but Jesse didn't really care for those much so he didn't recognize any of the titles. He walked back over and stood in front of Hanzo, reaching out to play with his long hair. 

“I cannot see the movie with you standing in the way,” he said, placing his hands on Jesse's hips. 

Jesse smiled wryly and shifted so he was completely blocking Hanzo's view. “What if I said I've got something better to show you?” 

Hanzo hummed and feigned thoughtfulness. “Perhaps I will consider it.” 

Jesse laughed, then leaned in to kiss Hanzo. He pushed him back so he could straddle his lap and just sat there, watching the man beneath him. Hanzo was mostly stoic, from what Jesse could tell. But when they were alone together he seemed to open up more. Jesse liked that about him, but the every-day professionalism was cute too. After staring at the man for what felt like forever, Jesse pulled his shirt off and leaned down to kiss him. 

“Huh,” Hanzo said. “I feel as though you are trying to come on to me.” 

“What gave it away?” Jesse asked with a laugh. 

“Intuition, I suppose?” His hand traced slow, deliberate lines down the other's sides until they rested delicately at his hips. 

“It's cold,” Jesse said. 

“Put your shirt back on.” 

Jesse raised an eyebrow, and pursed his lips. “Hmm. Really? I thought we could find some other way to keep warm.” Hanzo responded with a coy expression and pulled Jesse down for another riot of kisses. “Hey Hanners-” 

“Hanners?” Hanzo asked, one brow raised dubiously. 

“Yeah. Y'know. Like Hanzo. Hanners. Get it?” 

“I do.” 

“Yeah well I gotta ask you something.” Jesse braced his arms and looked down at the other, his hair falling around his face as he did. 

“Anything,” Hanzo responded. 

Jesse bit his lip and looked away. “So...I dunno. Do you think this is all just...hormone stuff?” 

“Hormone stuff?” Hanzo inquired. “The sex, you mean?” 

Jesse cleared his throat and nodded, refusing to meet eyes with the man. “Y'know...we've only known each other for like...I don't even know how long. Do you think like...all this attraction is just because of the hormones? And like...the danger...or forbiddeness or whatever.” 

“I suppose it is possible,” Hanzo said.

Jesse nodded. “So like, what if all of this is just for nothing? Y'know after everything's settled out. I still got a kid, and you got a promising future ahead of you and we're not from the same walks of life or whatever. So I guess what I'm saying is, I just wanna know if I should prepare myself for the inevitable end or something.” 

Hanzo seemed to mull over Jesse's ramblings for quite some time. He rubbed gentle circles on the other's skin with the pads of his thumb as he considered his next words. “Jesse, I like you. I like Clint. I do not want to lose you.”

Jesse frowned. “But what does that mean Hanners?” 

“It means I will keep supporting you for as long as you will have me by your side. I feel for you a way that I have not felt for anyone in my life.” 

“Me too,” Jesse said. “So...I guess, over all, what I'm asking is, would you like to go on a proper date with me? Y'know...minus all the other stuff?” 

Hanzo nodded. “Yes, Jesse. I would love to. Today is the 19th, I am not sure what my schedule will be for this week, but once I figure it out I'll let you know which day-” 

“We don't have to figure any of that out right now, Hanzo,” Jesse laughed. He pulled one of Hanzo's hands from his hips and dusted his knuckles in kisses. They were both quiet for a good stretch of time, each man lightly obsessing over the other's warmth.

Jesse paused a good ways into playing under Hanzo's shirt and he drew back suddenly. “Did you say today is the 19th?” he asked. 

“Mhm,” Hanzo said, continuing to stroke the other's clothed thigh.

“So tomorrow's the 20th.” 

“Yes,” Hanzo agreed. “What about it?” 

Jesse didn't respond right away. Instead, he stared distantly at the wall adjacent to himself, looking slightly unnerved. 

“Is something wrong?” Hanzo asked. 

Jesse snapped out of his brief trance and smiled, resting his face against Hanzo's warm, large hand. “Tomorrow's my birthday,” he said.

Hanzo looked surprised to hear that. “Ah,” he said. “How old will you be?” 

“Seventeen.” 

Hanzo nodded and pulled him down for another kiss. Jesse reciprocated, and seemed to come back to himself slowly and in stages. After a moment, he was smiling adoringly at Hanzo again. “Do you want to celebrate?” 

Jesse paused, thought about it, and shook his head. 

“Okay,” Hanzo said, then slowly smiled. “I am happy you were born Jesse.” 

Jesse's face turned red at the sentiment and he leaned down to kiss Hanzo again and again and again. What started as a gentle show of adoration slowly transformed until they were quietly fumbling with one another.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks again for reading and I'm sorry the updates have been so few and far between lately. I want you all to know that I turned the first chapter of this fic in as my creative writing final and it got resoundingly positive reviews! My professor suggested I see about getting it published and that, as well as my classmates asking me for more, had me sweating nervously. I'm dirty fanfic writing garbage professor, sorry about that.
> 
> (There was a long little blurb here asking for opinions about what direction to take the story in, but I'm taking it out because I made a solid decision. Thanks for your inputs!) 
> 
> Uhh gosh I feel like I had one last thing to say. Well, anyway, aside from that this fic is going to be competing for attention now with my other McHanzo fic Wax Wings. I'm really sorry about that!! Wax Wings is a little more explicit though but with the same amount of heartbreak if that's what you're into. I have big plans. BIG PLANS. 
> 
> Oh yeah the last thing I wanted to say was I apologize for all the mushy romance stuff. There's a hopeless romantic in me somewhere underneath this cold dead heart. Thanks again for reading!! You guys really make my day and keep my motivated <333

Hours had gone by and Jesse and Hanzo still hadn't left the room. Gabriel figured they must have found a good series of movies to watch and that's why neither of them had come out. He was grateful they were getting along, and even more grateful to have Clint wiggling and cooing in his arms. It was hard to focus on work with the baby constantly trying to grab his attention, but Gabriel managed to find a good mix between organizing Jesse's case and playing with Clint. 

After a long and arduous session, the group began to wrap things up. “Everything has to go just right for this to work,” he reminded everyone. “We're going to make this week really good for Jesse, okay? He's got a really, really tough road ahead of him. We all do, but him most of all.” 

Amélie snorted humorlessly. “You make it sound like we are sending him to slaughter.” 

Gabriel fixed her with a look and ordered a stack of papers. “Lena, send in the samples for the DNA test asap. And-” he stopped himself, hesitated, then cleared his throat and continued. “Nobody tell Jesse about this.” 

The general reaction was shock. Junkrat was the first to break the silence. “But why for, boss man? Shouldn't he know what's coming?” 

“If we tell him now it'll just freak him out,” Gabriel explained. “He'll be stressed about it all week and it's just another chance for him to change his mind and back out or, worse, run away again.”

Lena sighed. “It makes sense, but it seems so...”

“Underhanded,” Amélie said. “He trusts you Gabriel. But I understand what you are saying.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and cursed in french. “What a mess.” 

“Thank you guys,” Gabriel said. “You're all free to hang around, but I have to go.” He glanced down at Clint, almost having forgotten him now that he was used to the weight in his arms. He looked reluctant to let the baby go, but started towards Jesse's room. 

“Wait!” Amélie barked, stopping the man in his tracks. She paused and looked lost for a moment. Gabriel squinted, trying to figure out why she was acting so out of character. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

Gabriel chuckled and leaned against the frame of the hall archway. “Wouldn't you like to know?” 

Amélie scrutinized him in a way that Gabriel recognized as trouble. She was almost scary good at reading people and he suddenly became uncomfortable under her eyes. Her brow twitched with realization and Gabriel knew he'd lost their silent game. “A date?” she asked, her dark lips spreading into a playful smile.

“Yes,” Gabriel said, though it lacked the confidence he'd wanted it to and came out sounding more like a question.

“With who?” Amélie pried. 

Gabriel was silent, so Amélie watched him further. He fixed her with a deadpan look, but that only seemed to solidify whatever answer she'd found. She let out a small gasp and placed her hands on her hips. “No mon amour. It is not who I think it is.” Gabriel had always wondered how she could pin him so easily. It was like she was a witch or something. 

“It's not really a date,” he explained. “We're just going for drinks. I'm gonna try and see if he knows anything that'll help Jesse's case...without being obvious about the fact that Jesse's been with me all this time.” He scratched the back of his head. The plan didn't sound as solid when he said it out loud. 

Amélie crossed her arms. “Be careful Gabriel. You do not want to fly too close to the sun.” 

“I know,” Gabriel said, stepping past her. He knocked on the door a couple times, and then pushed it open. “We're done sorting out the case-” He paused, squinting. 

Hanzo was on one side of the room facing a corner and Jesse was on the other, half on the bed half off like he didn't know whether to sit or stand. An aura of guilt radiated off of both of them. Gabriel was silent at first, as if he expected one of them to suddenly explain their strange behavior, but no such explanation came. He opened his mouth to speak, and as he did Clint started crying. 

“Oh,” Jesse said, hurrying over. He took Clint from Gabriel and rocked him lightly until the baby's cries hushed to simple fussing. “Did he give you any trouble?” 

“No,” Gabriel said. “He was an angel. Is everything alright in here?” 

Jesse's eyes widened- so guilty- and he shook his head. “No. No, sir. We were just talking.” 

Gabriel's eyes narrowed and he looked to Hanzo. “Hanzo?” 

The boy turned to look at him, his expression impassive, and he shook his head as well. “We had a small argument. It has been resolved.” 

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “About?”

Hanzo faltered, so Jesse took over: “Whether or not Leonardo Dicaprio deserves an oscar.” 

Gabriel hummed. “Who was on what side of the argument?” 

“I think he deserves one,” Jesse specified. “Hanzo thinks he doesn't.” He gave Hanzo a look and smiled. “Right?” 

Gabriel sighed and shook his head. “I expected more out of you Hanzo,” he said, his voice baring the smallest hint of a laugh. 

“I apologize Mr. Reyes.” 

Gabriel smiled. “I'm going out for a bit. Hanzo, you're free to stay. Jamison and Mako are napping in the living room. I'll be back in a couple hours.” 

Jesse nodded and looked over at Hanzo. He seemed hesitant, but said, “Do you wanna stay and watch more movies?” 

Hanzo, equally as hesitant, responded, “Of course.” 

Gabriel was happy to see the two were getting along more or less; it seemed like the friendship was developing slowly. He wasn't sure if Jesse had any friends his age, but he knew the boy needed some normalcy.

“Where are you going anyway?” Jesse laid Clint on the bed and started playing with his feet. The baby reached out and giggled at him, then rolled from side to side in a weak attempt at escape. Jesse leaned over and nipped at his toes, acting like he was about to eat them which only made Clint giggle more. 

Gabriel watched them, entranced. “I'm meeting an old friend for drinks. It shouldn't take too long.” 

Jesse looked back over at Gabriel and grinned wide. “I hope you have a good time.” 

Gabriel felt his heart ache and a new determination filled him. He was going to do everything in his power to protect Jesse and Clint. 

\----

Waiting for Jack Morrison was one of the most nervewracking things Gabriel had done in a long time. Not much got to him. As a lawyer, he'd had decades of training to prevent himself from getting nerves. And yet, here he was, downing a glass of whisky to extinguish his anxieties. He glanced at the door often enough that the bartender asked, “Waiting for somebody?” 

“Yeah,” Gabriel replied, too distracted to string together an actual sentence. 

“Girlfriend?” 

“My ex,” he murmured. 

As if it were scripted, Jack entered the front door. He looked around, his eyes as big and doe-ish as ever. When he spotted Gabriel, he smiled slightly and walked over. The bartender took that as a cue and walked to the other side of the bar. The establishment was fairly empty. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Jack said. 

“Don't worry about it. No problem,” Gabriel lied, waving his hand dismissively.

Jack paused before taking a seat and he suddenly seemed more reserved, like he wanted to say something. After a few moments of deliberation, he seemed to decide. “Gabe...before we get started I have to know...what is this?” 

“This?” Gabriel blinked, confused, but quickly caught Jack's meaning. “It's...drinks, you know. Making up for lost time, maybe?” 

Jack looked away, his pale blue eyes lost in thought. “Lost time, huh?” 

“I missed you,” Gabriel said. He couldn't stop himself – It came out without warning. It wasn't a lie to lower Jack's defenses, either. Gabriel had missed him so much, but it didn't all hit him until he'd seen the man shortly after finding Jesse. 

Jack's attention went anywhere but on Gabriel. After a moment he said, “You mentioned you wanted to talk to me about something?” 

“Oh, yeah,” it was all Gabriel could do not to hide his disappointment. He cleared his throat and steeled himself. Now was no time to be acting like a lovestruck child. “I was wondering if you could tell me anything else about that runaway boy. The one you asked me about before.” 

“Jesse you mean?” Jack asked. He looked a little surprised, but Gabriel didn't want to give him an opportunity to pry out his intentions. 

“Yeah. I figured if he was seen in my area I may as well keep an eye out. I don't know if there's anything I should know.” 

“Mm,” Jack leaned on his elbow and flagged down the waiter. He ordered a long island iced tea and sighed. “His foster parents insist he's a compulsive liar. It's consistent with stories I've heard from authorities, teachers, therapists...I don't know.” he rubbed his hand over his face and leaned over the bar, actively avoiding Gabriel's gaze. “He's got a history of petty crime – theft is one of the most frequent ones, but nothing I personally can really blame him for. Food, clothes, necessities. Never anything extravagant. Only things he'd need to survive. Never anything like someone's damn baby.” He said the last piece quietly, afraid of drawing attention to them. 

Gabriel listened intently. “What has he supposedly lied about in the past?” 

“That's the thing,” Jack said. “Anything he would've lied about was to avoid being hurt or abused in some way, y'know? Lied to his teachers about his parent's abuse, lied to his therapists about his emotional state – I think he didn't want them to try and medicate him or something – Lied to authorities about where he lived. It's not so much compulsive lying as-” he stopped and rubbed his temple. “I don't know, Gabe.” 

“Isn't is possible he's being abused by his foster parents?” Gabriel asked. “He could be trying to get himself and the baby out of harm's way.”

“That was my first thought too,” Jack said. “I've had suspicions about these two before. It was shortly after Jesse was introduced to the home, and Jesse's former foster brother was acting strange. He didn't seem to be getting any better. He was already a fidgety kid with a lot of issues, but something seemed...off. I don't know. I can't really explain it. I'm supposed to notice these things though, y'know? I filed a report, they investigated, but in the end it was found to be insubstantial and they suggested that Jamison needed to start seeing his therapist twice a week instead of once.” 

Gabriel took another drink of his whiskey, but remained silent. He looked up at the mounted television screen that was currently running some old show. Jack was losing sleep over this. Gabriel could tell by the deep circles under his eyes and how his hands were shaky with sleep deprivation. “What do -you- think?”

“What do I think?”

“Do you think there might be abuse?” 

“Yes,” Jack said too quickly. He hesitated before continuing. “Or...maybe. But, if there is, these people are smart about it. How can you convict someone with no evidence? How can you prove something even a thorough investigation couldn't? I can't go around making accusation after accusation at the same people with absolutely no basis or I won't be taken seriously by my superiors. I have to find Jesse because it's my job and I want to make sure he and the baby are safe, but mostly I want to talk to him. I want to figure out what's really going on and convince him that I want to help.” 

Jack was such an idealist. Gabriel remembered that much from their time together in university. It was good to see some things never changed. Part of him briefly considered letting Jack in on everything, but he knew he couldn't. As much as Jack wanted to help, he was a lawful man. A boyscout, as Gabriel used to say. If Gabriel told him the truth, they'd all be screwed. 

“You haven't been sleeping,” Gabriel said, as if to change the subject. “You look exhausted.” 

“If only I had half the ability you do to deprive myself of sleep.” Jack groaned and laid his head down, then sat up straight again. “Anyway if you see Jesse or the baby, please call me right away. I just want to ensure they're safe.” 

“Of course.” Gabriel reached across the bar and put his hand over Jack's. They both refused to look at the other, but neither moved their hand away. Jack sipped at his drink, and Gabriel did the same to his; the silence was actually comfortable. 

It took awhile to speak again, but eventually the two of them started catching up. Gabriel told Jack about his marriage with Amélie falling apart, and how it went surprisingly smooth. They were able to talk through the issues and came out stronger as friends. 

Jack told Gabriel about dating other people, but shyly admitted it was nothing compared to when the two of them were dating. It was hard for Gabriel to suppress his smile, but he didn't want to seem presumptuous. It was clear if they had any chance together, it would take time. And that was only if Jack never found out about his knowledge of Jesse's whereabouts. At least not until after Jesse was safe. Gabriel hated lying to Jack, but knew it was necessary. 

Eventually catching up turned to regaling old stories from uni, and they both left the bar to take a walk to the park. “Remember that old trip to Mammoth?” Jack asked. 

“Do I?” Gabriel responded, his eyes going mischievously half-lidded. “I certainly remember that hot tub at the cabin.” 

Jack's face turned red and he smacked Gabriel on the arm. “I'm trying to wistfully remember our youth and you have to go and make it something gross.” He laughed along with Gabriel who was rubbing his arm as if the gesture had hurt. 

“Sorry, sorry. So, trip to Mammoth. Continue.” 

“Okay, remember when we were talking outside the cabin and we stopped to make snow angels and it started snowing?” 

“Mmm-hm. I remember that. Then we got cold so we started making out like a couple of horny teenagers.” Gabriel laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets, as if recalling the chill of that night. 

“Yeah-” Jack blushed again. “Well, I never got a chance to tell you this then, but after all the...making out...when I told you I loved you...” 

Gabriel stopped walking and kept his eyes on Jack, holding his breath. 

“That was the first time I'd ever said that. To anyone. Other than my family, I mean.” 

Gabriel didn't respond at first; he couldn't. He longed for the past when things were easy and emotions were less complicated to process. “Jack...I-” 

Jack laughed and patted Gabriel on the shoulder. “Anyway, there's no point in being so nostalgic.” 

“Jack,” Gabriel said again. “I want to-” 

He was interrupted by a loud and festive ring. “Sorry- Hold on,” Jack reached into his pocket and scooped out his phone, checking the screen. “Crap. Sorry, that's work. I really have to go Gabe.” 

“Yeah. No problem.” Gabriel put his hands back into his pockets. 

“Let's do this again soon, okay? I'm really busy, but- Soon.” Jack leaned in to kiss Gabriel on the cheek, then ran off in the direction of his car. 

Gabriel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt stupid. Every point in his life felt like a massive screwed up opportunity and it was all by his own hand. Nothing, though, compared to losing Jack.


	14. We interrupt your daily broadcast for this important message from your sponsor

((Hey everyone! Sorry this isn't a real update;;;; I just wanted to let everyone know I haven't abandoned this fic and I'm not going to stop updating!! My depression has just been incredibly bad lately and I'm finding it hard to do literally anything. I don't know if this is super appropriate or not but it's my fic so I'll do what I want >:u 

but I'm gonna go ahead and also plug my lil for funsies webcomic: https://tapastic.com/series/shale

It's only just started, but it deals with a lot of the same stuff this fic is dealing with so I thought it might be of interest to some of y'all. Anyway thank you for being understanding! If you're not that's cool too, and still thank you for enjoying this fic so much you can't be understanding of my lack of updates. ;0; You lovelies have every right to be upset!! Annnddd I love you all and I hope you don't hate me. ^^;; I've already got the next chapter half written out, I'm just trying to get back into the rhythm of things. Spring break's coming up so here's to hoping I can get my act together for all you lovely patient people. (and impatient people too. I see you. I feel you. And I love you.) <33))

**Author's Note:**

> It's 7 am and I've been writing all night and now I need to sleep. I'll edit this in the morning when I wake up! <3 I'm just hoping this isn't as incoherent as I feel like it is...


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